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DORA'S 



HOUSEKEEPING 



Miss E. S. KIRKLAND 

A.UTHOR of i4 Six Little Cooks," " Speech and Manners," u Short 
History of France," Etc. 



SIXTH EDITION. 



CHICAGO 

A. C. McCLURG & COMPANY 

1899 




COPYRIGHT, 

JANS EN, McCLURG & CO e9 

A. D. 1877. 



<*- 



THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO 

ANNIE, ELLEN, KITTIE AND EDITH, 

MY "FIRST CLASS," 

in remembrance of their 
Cooking Parties. 



DORA'S HOUSEKEEPING. 



CHAPTEE I. 

MAKING A BEGINNING. 

One pleasant afternoon in September, Mrs. King and 
her daughter Amy were sitting together in their bright, 
sunny parlor, the former occupied in making a doll's hat, 
and ihe little one in reading aloud from one of her favor- 
ite books. The day was so warm that the windows were 
open, giving a view of flower-beds gay with scarlet gera- 
niums and white chrysanthemums, while beyond these 
lay a smooth lawn shaded here and there by groups of 
trees. A gentle breeze just lifted the soft curls that fell 
over the pages Amy was reading, and at the end of a 
chapter she laid down her book and leaned on her 
mother's chair, watching the progress she was making in 
her work. 



8 dora's housekeeping. 

" It's nice to be at home again, isn't it, mamma? " said 
she, " though we had a lovely time at Aunty Vernon's, 
too." 

" It is always pleasant to be at home," said her mother; 
" but we shouldn't think as much of home if we didn't go 
away sometimes. And I wouldn't have had you miss 
making the acquaintance of all your cousins there, for a 
great deal. Have you answered Mabel's letter? " 

" Not yet," said Amy, " because she told me how she 
and Jessie had been making cake and biscuits since we 
came away, and I wanted to tell her that I had made 
something, too." 

" Then you may make something next Saturday morn- 
ing," answered Mrs. King, " and you can write to her in 
the afternoon. After all the kindness that your aunts and 
cousins showed us when we were with them, it would be 
very ungrateful in us not to take the trouble to write to 
them, now that we have come away. But here comes 
Dora, running as if she had something very important 
on hand." 

A moment after, a tall girl of fifteen came into the 
room, looking anxious and troubled. 

" It's all settled, Aunt Jane," she exclaimed, without 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 9 

any preface, for she lived next door, and ran in half a 
dozen times a day. " They're to go in about a week, and 
won't be back till spring; and whatever in this world I'm 
going to do, I don't know." 

Here, perhaps, we ought to explain that Dora's mother 
was an invalid, whose delicate health made it imprudent 
for her to stay in a cold northern climate through the 
winter, and that the doctors had advised her to try the 
milder air of the South of England. She was Mr. King's 
sister, and whatever happened in one family was interest- 
ing to both. 

" Don't let us look at it in that light first, dear," said 
Mrs. King, in answer to Dora's dismal exclamation. 
" Try to think how delightful it will be to have your mam- 
ma get well and strong again, and have a winter of peace 
and comfort, instead of all the suffering she went through 
last year." 

" Oh, yes, to be sure," assented Dora, " I shall be very 
glad to have her get well; but I can't help thinking how 
badly I shall fill her place." 

"You'll do your best, won't you, Dora?" 

" Why, yes, of course I will, Aunt Jane," said Dora, 
flushing a little under the idea that it was possible for 
her to do anything but her best. 



10 dora's housekeeping. 

" Then I shall have to remind you of what one of my 
favorite poets says: 

" Who does the best his circumstance allows, 
Does well, acts nobly; angels could no more." 

" No matter what position yon are placed in, if yon 
start with a desire of doing what is right to the best of 
your ability, no one can ask any more of you." 

" But, Aunty, I know they'll find so much fault with 
me." 

" Very likely they will, but you mustn't mind that; 
just make up your mind to it beforehand, and determine 
that you'll always be ready with a pleasant answer. 
' Forewarned is forearmed,' you know. If you foresee 
that certain things are going to try your temper, you 
must call up an extra stock of resolution to meet them 
with." 

" I'll try, Aunt Jane, but I don't see how I'm going 
to give a pleasant answer when the boys begin to scold 
at me. It's easy enough with papa, because I have some 
respect for Aim." 

" It will get easier with a little practice, you'll see. 
And then in matters that can be talked over beforehand 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 11 

you know, cousin Helen and I will always be on hand 
with our advice. But I must run in and see what I can 
do to help your mother get ready." 

Mrs. Greenwood was looking rather helpless and for- 
lorn when her sister-in-law went in. "It seemed to be 
a matter of necessity if I'm ever going to be strong 
again," said she, as they were discussing the journey. 
" And I know you'll look after my little girl while I'm 
away, Jane," she added, her lip trembling and her eyes 
filling with tears. 

" Never fear," returned Mrs. King, in her cheery voice. 
" Make your mind perfectly easy about that. All you 
have to do is just to be as comfortable as you can, and 
never give a thought to your house-keeping. Fortu- 
nately you leave a set of healthy children, that are not 
likely to be sick while you are away; and if they all keep 
well I'm not afraid but that every thing else will go on 
nicely. "We'll have an eye to them, and I think it will 
be just as well for Dora to be thrown on her own resources 
for awhile." 

" I hope it will all be for the best," said Mrs. Green- 
wood, as she went on wearily with her preparations, 
" but I can't help feeling anxious." 



12 bora's housekeeping. 

The week slipped rapidly away, and at the end of it 
Mr. Greenwood set out for New York with his wife, 
leaving Dora head of the household until his return. 
The first thing she did after the carriage rolled out of 
sight on its way to the station was to sit down and have 
a hearty cry; the next to jump up and remember that it 
was time to go to school. 

No mamma now to look after the dilatory children, 
and see that they got oil in time! Dora suddenly 
bethought herself that she must undertake this duty in 
future, and instantly set about collecting her forces. 
James and Bertie had gone down to the station with 
their mother, and were to go from there directly to school ; 
but Milly, who was half-past eight, and Julia, not quite 
seven years old, had to be hunted up. When found, one 
had mislaid her hat and the other her books, and Julia 
had contrived to get her face so very dirty since break- 
fast that it had to be washed; then, just at the last min- 
ute, the elastic on Milly's hat broke, and there was noth- 
ing to do but wait and sew on another; so the end of it 
all was that the whole party were five minutes late at 
school. 

" I'm sure I couldn't possibly help it, Miss "Weston," 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 13 

said Dora, arriving quite out of breath. " I couldn't 
tell that every thing was going to happen so, just at the 
last minute." 

" You are certainly quite excusable to-day, Dora," said 
her teacher, kindly; "but you must remember that these 
things, or others like them, are just those that may hap- 
pen every day, and so begin to look up the children's 
things about ten minutes earlier than if you had only 
yourself to provide for. Then, if you are a few minutes 
early, you will have time to look over some hard lesson." 

There being an hour's intermission at noon, the child- 
ren came home for their lunch, but did not dine until 
six o'clock, as their father would not allow them to go 
back to study directly after a hearty meal. As soon as 
school was finished for the day, Dora ran in to her aunt's 
house, impatient for a consultation as to her first prac- 
tical efforts at housekeeping. 

" I would advise you not to try to do anything before 
Saturday, dear," said Mrs. King; "but just keep your 
eyes open and make a mental note of what wants atten- 
tion. Annie is a very good girl, but I think she is a 
little i touchy,' and may not like to have you take the 
reins in your hands too suddenly. When she is out of 



14 dora's housekeeping. 

any kind of provision she will be sure to let you know, 
and until then you had better be content with whatever 
she prepares. In the meantime, we must think of some 
nice dessert that you can have ready for your father's 
first dinner at home after he comes back." 

" Mamma always made the desserts," said Dora. 
u When Annie is left to herself she gives us nothing but 
everlasting pie." 

" Now, take your old aunt's advice, Dora, and don't 
utter a word of complaint about it. We'll soon get An- 
nie into the way of making a little variety, if she doesn't 
get out of temper to begin with. Caution is a great vir- 
tue when you are dealing with human beings." 

The next day Dora came in for her usual visit. " I've 
been keeping my eyes open as you told me to, Aunt 
Jane," said she, " and I begin to have an idea of how 
much mamma must have done about the house. Every- 
thing looks so hap-hazard and irregular. There's a piece 
of sheet hanging down from nearly every bed, and the 
pillows are crooked, and the towels left all in a string, 
and the things in the parlor put back in the wrong places 
after being dusted; and I happened to touch one of the 
windows to raise it, and had to go and wash my hands 
afterwards, it was so horribly dusty." 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 15 

" Well, my love," said her aunt, " you can't expect any 
woman to do the cooking and washing and ironing for a 
family of six people besides herself, and yet keep every- 
thing about the house as nice as if she had nothing else 
to do but make things clean and tidy. If you had a 
second girl you would have a right to expect that the 
whole house should be kept in apple-pie order; but as it 
is, you must take hold of all these little matters yourself. 
Probably ten or fifteen minutes every day when you come 
home to lunch would be enough to set things in their 
proper places and straighten them out; and then I think 
you will have to take a duster when you come home in 
the afternoon and go the rounds with that." 

" To-morrow afternoon I shall have the clean clothes to 
put away," remarked Dora. 

" I suppose I need not tell you to look at each article 
and see if it needs any mending, and to put such things 
as do in a basket by themselves?" 

" Oh, no; mamma told me all about that; but it will 
be an immense job to mend them." 

"Not so long as you think if you do it the first thing, 
and never let any of them lie over until another week. 
If I were you I would make a beginning on them as soon 



16 dora's housekeeping. 

as they come up. It won't do to leave too much for Sat- 
urday." 

Dora took her aunt's advice, as she always meant to, 
and set about the clothes the moment she came back from 
school. They were all sorted and ready to lay away when 
her cousin Helen Grant came in. Mrs. Grant was Aunt 
Jane's widowed daughter, and lived with her. 

" I thought you would have reached this stage of your 
proceedings by this time, Dora," said she, " and I came 
in to see if you would let me help you a little." 

" Oh, thank you, cousin Helen ; I can easily do it by 
myself, but I'm very glad of your company. Isn't there 
a huge lot of them? " 

" Summer washing is always pretty heavy," said Mrs. 
Grant, " but we shall soon have a cold snap, and then you 
girls will come to your woolen dresses and balmorals. 
Are you quite sure that there are no buttons wanting on 
any of these dresses or on your father's shirts and the 
boys'?" 

"Perfectly; I looked at every one carefully. All that 
needed mending are on the bed there, by themselves. I'm 
sure there's a big enough pile of them to be all." 

"Oh, never mind, we'll make short work of them. 
Now let's put away the others, so as not to have any con- 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 17 

fusion. These towels and sheets are a little damp. We'll 
hang them here in the sun to get perfectly dry before 
they are laid in the press." 

" Annie always does send up part of the clothes damp," 
said Dora. 

" There are apt to be so many flies in a kitchen that it 
is best to get the clothes out of it as soon as possible," 
answered Mrs. Grant. " But it will never do to lay any- 
thing in a drawer or closet unless it is thoroughly dry. 
They smell mouldy if you do, and are unwholesome." 

" Did you ever see anything in such a muss as this 
drawer of Milly's is? " exclaimed Dora. " All her dolly- 
things mixed in with her clothes!" 

"Poor child!" said cousin Helen, "I suppose she 
didn't know what else to do with them. We can soon 
find her one of those flat pasteboard boxes that will hold 
them all, and it will be just as easy for her to put them 
there as in the drawer. I see all these drawers have 
become a little mixed up. Suppose we lay them straight 
now — all the petticoats in one pile, the nightgowns in 
another, the shirts in another, and so on — and then by 
looking in once or twice a week and calling the children's 
attention to it, you'll be able to to keep everything tidy." 
2 



18 dora's housekeeping. 

" I think it's perfectly lovely to see everything in 
straight piles when yon open a drawer," said Dora; " but 
I don't believe you can make them do it." 

" I think you can if you show them how nice it looks 
before they begin to tumble them up again. Everybody 
must like better to see things neatly arranged, even boys; 
and if you provide them with suitable places for their 
rubbish you can make them orderly after awhile. 

" Now, I suppose, I may as well go to mending," said 
Dora, when the last article had been laid away. 

" Are you all ready for dinner?" inquired her cousin. 

" Oh, no; I have to change my dress and brush my 
hair." 

" Then I should advise you to do that first. You don't 
know exactly how long it will take you, and there will be 
nothing in the mending to soil your hands or clothes. I 
find that when I leave dressing till the last minute I'm 
almost sure to be late. Give me the work-basket and 
let me make a beginning while you are getting ready. 
I haven't any thing better to do." 

" Oh, thank you, cousin Helen! I'll bring in mamma's 
work-table, and you '11 find every thing there just as she 
left it" 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 19 

" Ah, this is a second edition of mother's/' said Mrs. 
Grant, when the table made its appearance. " All the 
buttons in one box, and all the spools in another, and the 
tapes sorted so that you can see in an instant the kind 
you want. Nobody can dream of the difference it makes 
when you are mending, not to have to hunt up your ma- 
terials. It certainly saves half the time." 

" Stocking-darning is the thing I hate worst," re- 
marked Dora. 

" Well, fortunately I love to darn stockings, so I '11 
begin with those and save you what I can. I like to do 
it even when I am all alone — it gives you such a nice 
chance to think. It 's a good time to keep up your poetry, 
too. Sometimes I repeat poetry to myself for an hour at 
a time while I 'm sewing." 

" I love poetry dearly," said Dora, " but I don't have 
much time to learn it while I 'm going to school." 

" The best way is to have a book always propped open 
on your bureau while you are dressing. Then you can 
look at a line or two and learn it while you are walking 
around or combing your hair; then look again and pick 
up another. Tou can learn two or three hundred lines 
ill a week in that way, and never miss the time." 



20 doea's housekeeping. 

" That is a good idea," said Dora. " I'll try it. 1 
often wish I had more time to learn poems by heart." 

" This dress will need a piece set in where the pin has 
torn it out," said Cousin Helen. " I suppose your mam- 
ma has a piece-bag?" 

"She has a drawer," answered Dora; "a broad, shal- 
low one, with every bundle tied up by itself, so that you 
can see the one you want the minute you open the draw- 
er. It's one of her rules never to throw away any of the 
pieces so long as a dress is in use, and when it is given 
away the new pieces always go with it." 

"And I suppose you sometimes wear dresses until they 
are too much used up even to give away." 

"Then the pieces go to the Industrial School or 
Orphan Asylum. They often send here for what we 
have, for making patch-work and dolls 5 clothes." 

"Are the children ready for dinner?" inquired Mrs. 
Grant, after they had been sewing for some time. 

" All except washing their hands and faces and brush- 
ing their hair," answered Dora; "and that won't take 
long." 

" You'd better collect them, though, for it wants only 
twenty minutes to six, and it may take some little time 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 21 

to hunt them up. Annie will soon leave off being punc- 
tual if the family are not ready when the bell rings." 

" I do wish they would ever do anything by them- 
selves," said Dora, pettishly. It's nothing but look after 
them all the time." 

" Oh, you'll never make an out-and-out housekeeper if 
you begin on that principle," said her cousin, laughing. 
" You mustn't expect people to do anything without 
looking after. You'll find that your main business in 
life will be, not to do things yourself, but to see that 
other people do them. Just make up your mind to that, 
and it will soon come to be a matter of course, and won't 
seriously interfere with your other pursuits." 

The children were soon at their toilets, aud Cousin 
Helen and Dora worked away at the mending with such 
a will that the last article was finished and laid in its 
place before the dinner-bell rang. 

" There's one Saturday's job off your hands," said Mrs. 
Grant. " You'll be glad of it when the time comes." 

On Friday afternoon Dora ran in to her Aunt's for 
some advice. 

" To-morrow's my first real day of housekeeping, you 
see, Aunt Jane," said she. u Annie has the whole house 



22 dora's housekeeping. 

to sweep and her baking to do, and I must do the mar- 
keting for Sunday and Monday, and dust and make every- 
thing tidy; and then I should like to surprise papa with 
some of my own cooking. Do you think I can? " 

"Oh, yes, perfectly well; but you must have it all 
planned out beforehand, so as to lose no time. Of course 
you'll go to market the first thing? " 

" Yes, the minute I've done my breakfast." 

u Do you wash the breakfast dishes?" 

"No, Annie does that; but mamma always cleans the 
silver. I'll tell Annie to have it on the table for me." 

" And I will come in and help you with it," said her 
aunt, "and we'll discuss the order of operations for the 
day." 

" You're a dear, good Aunty," said Dora, kissing her; 
" but mamma said I musn't ride you to death." 

"No fear of that," returned Mrs. King. "I'll look 
out for myself. Have you decided on your bill of fare? " 

" I believe we have a regular round of things, and this 
is our week for a roast of beef. We have it rather rare 
the first day, and roasted over the second; and on Mon- 
day we eat it cold if there's any left." 

" Then suppose you get for to-morrow what is called 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 23 

a rib-roasting piece, and have the bones taken out for 
soup? Then the butcher rolls the beef and skewers it, 
and it looks just as well the second day as the first." 

" Oh, yes, we often have it that way." 

" What vegetables have you thought of?" 

" Potatoes and tomatoes and squash, I think, will be 
as nice as any. Papa never cares for more than three 
kinds." 

" And for Sunday dinner?" 

"I don't know; what do you think?" 

" To make a little variety you might have sweet corn 
and cauliflower with your potatoes, and on Monday some 
roast-potatoes, beets and dressed cold slaw, which are all 
delicious with cold beef. What about desserts?" 

"I should like to make something myself, if you'll 
show me how. I don't know anything about cooking, 
and I thought perhaps I might learn, now mamma was 
away." 

"I'll show you with the greatest pleasure. With 
these fresh peaches one doesn't really need anything else, 
but you might make some boiled custard to eat with a 
dish of them cut up and sugared. And for a change you 
could have apple-tapioca for to-morrow, and Monday 



24 

return to the peaches again. I'll give you the recipes 
when you come back from market Have you arranged 
for breakfast?" 

" We always have fish-balls and fried mush," answered 
Dora, "and I think they're so tiresome." 

"Why not try something else, then?" 

" Papa wouldn't think it was Sunday morning if we 
didn't have them. He's been used to it ever since he 
was a boy." 

" Do you think he would object to our substituting 
some fried hominy for the mush?" 

" Oh, no, not at all." 

" I think that is an excellent dish, and if you have no 
hominy in the house, you might get some in the morn- 
ing. You had better make out a list of what is needed, 
so as to make but one journey. You will want meat, 
vegetables (don't forget an onion and some carrots if 
you haven't a supply of them, and a small head of celery 
for the soup), eggs, hominy, tapioca, a lemon or two, 
peaches, tart apples, and so on. Annie can tell you 
which of these things she is unprovided with. Buy 
three or four pounds of a shin of beef, and ask the 
butcher to chop that and the bones he takes from the 



MAKING A BEGINNING. 25 

roast of beef very small, then put them over the fire, 
bones and meat together, in a large pot with cold water 
the moment they come home. Allow about a quart of 
water to every pound of beef and bone; cover the pot 
and let it heat very slowly; as soon as it begins to sim- 
mer set it on the back of the stove and keep it at the 
same heat for at least five hours, never letting it boil. 
Now and then you must skim it, as otherwise the scum 
that rises will mix with the soup again and prevent its 
being clear." 

" What a long job it is! " said Dora. 

" It would be if you had to stand and stir it all the 
time, I grant you," answered her aunt; "but as the fire 
does most of the work, you can't complain. One thing 
you must remember, if you should ever want to make 
soup the day before it is used — as will often be the case — 
never set it away in an iron pot, or even in tin ; a good- 
sized earthern jar is the best thing to keep it in; but if 
you should not have one empty, it would be better even 
to use the soup-tureen than any kind of metal/* 



CHAPTER II. 

A BUSY DAY. 

Dora had jtist returned from market on Saturday 
morning, when her aunt appeared. Annie was carrying 
out the breakfast dishes. 

" Suppose you leave us the silver, Annie," said Mrs. 
King. "You'll not have time to clean it, will you?" 

" Deed, an' I won't," answered the cook. " It's all I 
can do to get along with the necessary work. Mrs. 
Greenwood always saw to the silver herself." 

" Yery well, Miss Dora will attend to it now," answered 
Mrs. King, pleasantly, and despatched Dora for the 
cleaning materials. 

" Some very hot water, dear, and the soap and silver- 
polish. Have you a mop? " 

"No, Aunty; but I can get a dishcloth from Annie." 

"That will do for to-day; but if you mean to wash the 
silver often, it would be well to get Jamie to cut you out 
a mop-handle with his jack-knife, and you can tie on 



A BUSY DAY. 27 

some lamp-wicking. It saves your hands to use one, and 
you can take hotter water. Now stir the soap in the 
water until you make a suds, and then take it out with a 
fork. Then take one at a time of the large articles and 
rinse them round thoroughly; the forks and tablespoons 
that are greasy, you will have to hold in your other hand 
while you rub them a little, and afterwards wipe them as 
quickly as possible." 

" Annie always piles the dish-pan heaping full," said 
Dora, " and then puts the soap on top and pours water 
over it from the tea-kettle." 

" I think that is a horrid way," answered Aunt Jane. 
" I'm not much given to strong expressions, but that per- 
formance really makes me sick. I always try to teach a 
new girl to wash dishes my way, which is to take out the 
soap before anything else is put in, and then to wash only 
a few dishes at a time — first the glasses, then the silver, 
tea-cups and saucers, and finally the plates and large 
dishes, all of which should be scraped as clean as possible 
first. "We shouldn't have so many articles of china nicked 
and chipped if it were not for this wretched way of piling 
all into the dish-pan together." 

" I suppose they think it saves trouble in handling 
them," observed Dora. 



28 

" Not enough to make any noticeable difference," re- 
plied her aunt ; " and then what soup it makes of the 
water! By the other plan, you can throw away the water 
as soon as it begins to get thick, and take some fresh, 
which ought always to be ready on the stove." 

" I think we've done them all now, Aunt Jane," said 
Dora. " Shall I take away the water?" 

" Let me have a look at the cake-basket; very dingy. 
And we may as well do the casters and the silver salt- 
cellars while we are about it; it won't take long, and it is 
such a pleasure to see them beautifully bright and clean! 
You will feel repaid when you see the table set out with 
them. Is that all the polish you have?" 

" Yes," said Dora, " we never make more than this 
bottle full at a time. Shall I get some more when I go 
out?" 

" Tou can get the materials for it; I suppose you know 
the receipt?" 

"No," answered Dora; "Mamma always keeps her 
receipts in her head. How can we find out?" 

" Oh, I know what it is, for it was your mother who 
gave it to me. But shouldn't you like a book of your 
own to write receipts in, as you won't always have your 



A BUSY DAY. 29 

mother and aunt at hand to tell you? Mabel has one 
which contains all we tried last summer at Aunt Yer- 
non's, and she means to add to it as fast as she learns how 
to do new things." 

" I should like it very much," said Dora. " I will be- 
gin now with this one, and afterwards I can copy them 
all out regularly." 

So she ran for a piece of paper and a pencil, and took 
down Aunt Jane's recipe for 

Silver Polish. 
Half a pound Paris white stirred into one pint boiling 
water. When perfectly cold add two tablespoonfuls 
ammonia. Prepare at least one day before using, and 
keep in a tightly-corked bottle. Shake very thoroughly 
each time before applying it. Wet with the polish the 
surface of the article to be cleaned; when entirely dry, 
rub first with a very soft cloth, and afterward with a piece 
of chamois leather. Some people prefer electro-silicon, 
which gives a brilliant polish, but is more expensive. 

" I should have advised you to take off the tablecloth 
first, Dora," said Mrs. King, " but that I saw it couldn't 
be used again, except, perhaps, to-day for the children's 
lunch; so I thought it was not much matter." 



#0 DOEA^S HOUSEKEEPING. 

" We don't generally change them until Sunday din- 
ner," said Dora. 

" But, my dear child, you can't possibly set your father 
down to a table covered with spots like this, even if it 
costs the washing of another cloth. It will be better to 
economize in something else. Besides, it is a bad lesson 
for the children to accustom them to such a spectacle. 1 
think that if you call their attention to the matter this 
evening you may be able to keep your cloth clean until 
to-morrow's dinner; if not, use it to-night and in the 
morning, and then lay it aside for a breakfast-cloth, and 
keep the fresh ones for dinners." 

" These casters need filling," said Dora. " I suppose 
I 'd better do it now and so have them ready for dinner?" 

u Yes, the casters and salt-cellars should always be at- 
tended to with the breakfast dishes. After you have 
poured in the oil and vinegar, wipe the mouths of the 
cruets carefully with a corner of your towel; I don't like 
to touch them with the dishcloth for fear of leaving a 
soapy taste. Mix the mustard in a teacup, and then you 
can pour it into the cruet neatly. You '11 not need much ; 
a heaping teaspoonful of mustard will be enough, with 
an even saltspoon of salt and about half as much pow- 
dered sugar; wet it up with cold water," 



A BUSY DAY. 31 

" "What shall I print the salt-cellars with, Aunt Jane? " 
" I wouldn't print them with anything ; it isn't the 
fashion now. I think they look best filled even full, and 
then made as smooth as glass on the top. If they are used 
at lunch, arrange them in the same way again before you 
leave the table; don't leave it for Annie, for she hasn't 
time to attend to these little matters." 

" Shall I shake the table cloth now?" inquired Dora, 
when everything had been put away. 

" I never shake a table cloth. What is the use of 
throwing crumbs on the floor only to be brushed up again? 
And as for shaking it, as some people do, out of doors, 
that is a mere invitation to flies. I always brush mine 
with a table-brush, and then fold it exactly in the creases 
it was ironed in — then it will look its best ' to the last. 
Any small spots I wash out with clear warm water be- 
fore I take it off the table. Lay a folded napkin under- 
neath to rub it on, and wet as small a place as you can ; 
then after the cloth is folded put it under some heavy 
thing to press, and you will be surprised to see how long 
it will look nice." 

" Wliat shall I press it under, Aunt Jane?" 

" Some people have a marble slab on purpose, just the 



32 doea's housekeepings 

size of the folded cloth ; but one of the extra table leaves 
will do very well if Annie will set one of her heavy jars 
on it for an hour or two. It is some trouble, but not 
nearly as much as washing and ironing would be." 

' Where do I get Paris white?" 

" At the paint shop, and ammonia at the drug-store, 
though I presume you will find a bottle of that in the 
house. Now if you will get a blank book, you can write 
down the receipts for what you are going to make to-day, 
and I have brought you over Amy's book, which she will 
lend you for a while. No. 7 of her receipts gives the 
directions for boiled custard.* But first let us have a look 
at your soup-stock." 

"What kind of soup is that, Aunt Jane?" 

" Stock is the foundation for all soups, and means 
merely the juices of the meat as they are drawn out in 
the water by the slow process of simmering. Then after 
the bones and fragments of meat are removed you add 
whatever else is intended to give the soup a special char- 
acter." 

The soup-stock was found simmering in good style, 
and Mrs. King inquired if Annie had any bits of meat 

*The recipes quoted from "Amy's Book" are to be found in "Six Little 
Coofcs," under corresponding numbers. 



A BUSY DAY. 33 

in the house, either cooked or raw. Upon investigation 
a couple of cold mutton chops were discovered, some 
bones from a roast, and a piece of beef-steak. 

" You'd better heat up the chops for your lunch, An- 
nie," said Aunt Jane, u and then if you will give us the 
beef-bones broken up small with a hatchet, and that bit 
of steak with all the fat cut off, it will improve our soup 
very much. I don't know anything that gives a better 
flavor to soup than a piece of cooked beef-steak." 

" Shall I put over any more water with them?" asked 
Annie. 

" Yes, about a quart. I should say there was a pound 
of new stuff altogether. Now, Dora, put in those pieces 
of bone that Annie has broken up, and cut the steak into 
small pieces ; you may add warm water, as the meat has 
been cooked already, and that won't hinder the soup. 
Now we can leave it for awhile, except that you must 
come back occasionally to skim it." 

Returning to the dining-room, Aunt Jane gave Dora 
her recipe for 

Apple Tapioca. 

Soak half a pint of tapioca in a quart of water for 
several hours. Pare and core enough sour apples to line 
3 



34 doea's housekeeping. 

an ordinary baking-dish, fill the holes with sugar and 
shred a lemon very finely among them, first taking out 
the seeds. Pour the soaked tapioca over the apples, and 
bake in a moderate oven until done, which will be prob- 
ably in about an hour. To be eaten cold, either alone or 
with sugar and cream. 

"That will be for to-morrow, won't it, Aunty? " 
" Yes, and you can make both that and the boiled cus- 
tard whenever you like, because the custard must be 
entirely cold also. Now we'll go on with the soups." 

Julienne Soup. 
To three quarts of clear stock add two carrots, two 
turnips, a head of celery, one onion and half a pint of 
sweet corn. When green peas are in season, substitute 
these for the corn. After the stock has simmered for five 
hours, strain it through a colander, without pressing, and 
set it in a cool place, still covered. When cold, skim off 
the fat and return to the fire. In the mean time, the car- 
rots, turnips and corn must have been parboiled (half- 
boiled,) in clear water. Out the carrots and turnips into 
dice; cut the celery nearly as small as for salad, and slice 
the onion very fine. Before putting in the vegetables 



A BUSY DAY. 35 

add salt, but rather less than you think it needs ; after 
they have all boiled together for awhile, taste it again, and 
add more, but be very careful not to overdo. A little 
pepper may be ventured on, but not enough to give the 
soup a fiery taste. Boil slowly for an hour after the 
vegetables are added, and serve hot. In the spring the 
tender tops of asparagus, cut small, are an improvement. 

" I don't think we have a turnip in the house, Aunt 
Jane." 

" I forgot to tell you to get one. But you have a cab- 
bage; take about a quarter of that, cut off solid, and boil 
in the same water with the carrots It is of the same fam- 
ily with the turnip, you know. When it is done, chop 
it up fine before you put it into the soup." 

" What shall I do with the meat? " 

" It will make a nice little hash for to-morrow, for those 
who are tired of fish-balls. You can prepare it yourself, 
to-night. Take out every particle of bone and gristle and 
mince it very fine. In the morning add boiling water 
just to wet it, a little pepper and salt, and butter enough 
to make it taste rich without being greasy ; you can only 
tell by putting in a little at a time. In the morning 



36 

you can toast two large slices of bread; butter them while 
they are hot, then cut them into four or six pieces, and 
lay them in the dish under your hash. The gravy will 
soften them sufficiently. Now, you may write down 
some more recipes." 

Tomato Soup. 

Boil slowly three pounds of beef in five quarts of water 

for three hours ; then add one quart of canned or two of 

fresh tomatoes, cut fine but not peeled, and one onion ; 

season to taste, simmer two hours longer, strain and serve. 

Macaroni Soup. 
Three pounds of veal knuckle or scrag boiled for three 
hours in three quarts of water; half a pound of the best 
Italian macaroni broken into short pieces and stewed 
until done in water enough to cover it, with a little but- 
ter added before you take it up. After straining the 
stock, add the macaroni, water and all; season with salt 
only, and boil half an hour longer. 

" Must you always have veal for macaroni soup, Aunt 
Jane?" 

" By no means; beef stock is a foundation for anything 



A BUSY DAY. 37 

in the world that you choose to put with it, of the soup 
kind. But it makes a variety to take veal sometimes, 
and macaroni seems to suit it particularly well. It 
makes a very delicate soup." 

" I see that you say 4 boil ' instead of i simmer,' in the 
recipe; is there any difference?" 

" There is the one general rule, that soups must never 
boil hard at any stage of the process. Another thing 
you must remember is that if you have dinner in the 
middle of the day, the stock should always be prepared 
the day before, for though there might be time simply 
for the boiling before a one-o'clock dinner, there would 
not be for standing it aside to get cold, so that you can 
take off the fat, which is an essential part of the process. 
A greasy soup is a most unattractive viand." 

" It must be very inconvenient always to have to think 
of soup the day before," remarked Dora. 

"Soups may be made in from two to three hours," 
replied her aunt, " but it requires more meat in propor- 
tion. If you take a piece of lean beef, without bone, 
cut it up finely and boil for three hours, allowing a quart 
of water to each pound of beef, you will have an excel- 
lent broth, to which you can add any thing you please — 



38 dora's housekeeping. 

pearl barley, macaroni, vermicelli, and almost any vege- 
table but beets. A very nice soup is made of the plain 
broth with a handful of pearl barley and a teaspoonful 
of celery seeds. But for an economical soup you should 
use bones, scraps of meat left from the platters, chicken 
skeletons, and remains of every kind, and for preparing 
these a longer time is necessary. In families where they 
use much meat, they can have soup as often as three 
times a week without buying any fresh meat for it." 

" Oyster soup doesn't need any," said Dora. 

"No, nor pea soup, nor several other kinds. But 
those are more especially for winter, and we'll leave the 
recipes for them until later. But I'll give you one more 
to-day." 

Chicken Soup. 

One large or two small fowls, half a pound salt or 
corned pork (not smoked), four quarts water. Cut 
the fowl into small pieces, add cold water enough to 
cover it, and stew with the pork (which must be cut into 
thin strips) until it is perfectly tender. Then add the 
remainder of the water, boiling hot, and boil until it 
has been over the fire two hours from the time it was put 
on. Of course it is understood that it has never ceased 



A BUSY DAY. 39 

boiling during this time. Then strain out the shreds of 
chicken and add salt and pepper, and a bunch of chopped 
parsley. To give it more consistency, a pint of milk 
thickened with flour may be added five minutes before 
serving. 

"How do you thicken milk with flour, Aunt Jane?" 
" Mix the flour with cold milk until it is perfectly 
smooth, then add, very slowly, milk just short of boiling. 
You must not do this over the fire, or it will be lumpy. 
For a pint of milk an even teaspoonful of flour will be 
enough." 

" Will the chicken be of any use afterwards?- 
" Yes, you can make it into croquettes. Chop it fine 
(leaving out most of the pork), add salt and pepper; 
thicken as much milk as you think you will need with 
flour, taking about twice as much flour as for chicken 
soup; stir in a small lump of butter — your own judgment 
must tell you how much — and then mix as much of this 
with the chopped chicken as will enable you to make it 
into balls. Set it away until it becomes cold, form into 
oval balls about three inches long, and fry in deep lard." 
" "What is deep lard, Aunt Jane? " 



40 dora's housekeeping. 

" Lard deep enough for them to swim in — just as you 
fry doughnuts. It must be boiling hot before they are 
put in. If you want a receipt for ' company' croquettes, 
you will find it in Amy's book, No. 48." 

"Thank you, Aunty; now, I suppose what I have to 
do is to try to put your directions into practice." 

"Yes; you won't find it as easy as writing them down 
or talking about them, but you mustn't be discouraged 
by failures. Nothing but experience can make you a 
good cook, and experience conies by mistakes. But now 
I'll leave you to your dusting. Don't forget to look after 
the soup-stock." 

Dora entered upon her work with great zeal, dusting 
and putting each room into thorough order as she went 
along. As the house was not large, she had time to do 
this and prepare her two desserts before she called the 
children in to wash and get ready for lunch. Annie told 
her how to put together the soft custard,' 55 ' and undertook 
to give the apple tapioca a "good bake," the soup-stock 
being set to cool in the mean time. After lunch the lit- 
tle girls went out to their unfailing swing, and the boys 
to watch the operation of a friend's new printing ma- 
chine, so that Dora had some quiet hours for practising 

*Explained in " Six Little Cooks," p. 27. 



A BUSY DAY. 41 

and studying, broken in upon only by the attention nec- 
essary for the soup. 

Mr. Greenwood was to arrive in time for diriher, and 
before this the children were washed and dressed, a vase 
of flowers gathered for the center of the table, and the 
last touches given to Annie's not over-particular arrange- 
ment of it. Everything was set straight on the spotless 
cloth; the silver shone like glass, it was so bright from 
its morning polishing, and Dora laid a clean napkin at 
her father's place, with his ring upon it. Presently the 
well-known step was heard in the hall, and a mob of 
children rushed wildly forth from various nooks to wel- 
come their father. The answers given to their tumult- 
uous questions were satisfactory; mamma was feeling 
very well when she started, only sad at the thought of 
leaving her children; the ship sailed in fair weather, and 
they might expect to hear of her arrival in about ten days. 

Dora looked very tall as she sat in her mother's place 
ladling out the soup. Her father surveyed the hand- 
somely-set table with a look of approbation. " I should 
think this was a company-dinner, and that mother had 
only just stepped in next door," said he. "You set out 
bravely, Dora. I like to be able to see my face in a 
spoon when I take it up. And Annie has made a good 



42 dora's housekeeping-. 

hit with her soup to-day. It tastes almost as good as 
one of your mother's. " 

" And pray what would you say, Papa," inquired Dora, 
" if I told you I made it myself ? " 

" I should say you were joking; you can't make soup! " 

" But I did make this, every drop of it! Aunt Jane 
showed me how. Now, you'll never say again that I can't 
make soup, will you?" 

" Not I. Anything else here of your work? " 

" Not yet; you must wait till the dessert comes." 

When the dessert came, the rich, fragrant custard was 
duly admired. " I was beginning to get a little tired of 
peaches," said Mr. Greenwood, " but with this sauce one 
can't complain. Anything in the house for to-morrow? " 

" "Why, Papa, what a question ! Don't you know that 
you have a housekeeper?" 

"Oh! I beg pardon," said her father; "I wasn't pre- 
pared to see my little girl blossom out so suddenly. Then 
I need ask no further questions?" 

" No, sir; all you will have to do will be to eat what is 
set before you and be thankful." 

" Thankful that it's no worse, I suppose," answered Mr. 
Greenwood, who was somewhat of a tease. 



OHAPTEK III. 

A SURPRISE. 

No incidents worthy of note occurred in the Green- 
wood family until the next Monday afternoon, when Dora 
appeared in her aunt's parlor with a face full of amaze- 
ment. 

" What do you think, Aunt Jane? Annie has had a 
letter saying that her mother is sick and needs her at 
home; and she is going by the five-fifteen train ! Did you 
ever hear of any thing like that in your life? " 

" Oh, yes, often," said Mrs. King, laughing in spite of 
herself at Dora's fiery indignation. " In fact, sickness 
is a thing that will occur occasionally, even in the fami- 
lies of the poor." 

" But I think it's a shame in her not to wait until we 
get some one else," exclaimed Dora, still blazing. 

" I can't judge of that without knowing something 
more about it. If her mother is not very ill, it seems 
as if she might have waited at least over one day. But 



44 doea's housekeeping. 

as we can't control these things, we must make the best 
of them. Can't she recommend some one in her place? " 

" No; she says she doesn't know of a soul." 

" I dare say we can find some one, though perhaps not 
for a day or two, as cooks are not very plenty here. Ask 
James to go for Mother Moppett, and tell her to come 
by daylight to-morrow morning, and if she has no one to 
leave the little girl with, she must bring her along. Have 
you enough cold meat in the house for dinner?" 

" Yes, plenty; and Annie is going to put in the pota- 
toes to bake before she goes away. But I shan't know 
when they're done." 

" You can tell that in a moment by feeling the outside, 
or rather by squeezing them a little with your fingers. 
"When they are done they will all press together and feel 
like mashed potato. Take them in a crash towel, or 
you'll burn your fingers. Now run home and set the 
table, and I'll put on my bonnet and go about a little to 
see what can be done in the way of getting another girl. 
Tell Annie to take potatoes as nearly of a size as possible, 
or the smaller ones will be done before the rest." 

Mrs. Moppett was an elderly woman, who lived at the 
other end of the village, a full mile away. She was not 



A SURPRISE. 45 

very strong or very skillful, but she was good-natured 
and willing to do her best. " Taint so mighty convenient 
for me to come to morrow," she said to James, " for I've 
got Miss Tibbitts's hull ironing to do, and she allers 
expects me Tuesdays." 

"Never mind, Mrs. Tibbetts," exclaimed James loftily; 
" she doesn't need you half so much as we do, 'cause we 
haven't any body but Dora, you see; and you can go to 
her next day and so you'll have two days' works instead 
of one." 

"Id'know's I keer so much about that," answered 
Mrs. Moppett, " but I'll see if I can oblige ye." 

Dora meanwhile had been setting the table for din- 
ner, getting what help she could from Bertie. She was 
just slicing the coldslaw on a plane when her aunt came 
in from her quest. 

" Can't hear of any one yet," said Mrs. King, cheerily, 
" but we shall soon, no doubt. Shall I dress that for 
you?" 

" Oh, if you would, I'd be so much obliged. All I 
know about it is just to put on vinegar and oil, and salt 
and pepper." 

"That is all I shall do to it," said her aunt, "but long 



46 dora's housekeeping. 

practice has made it easy for me to know just how much 
is wanted of each. "When you have time to make a 
dressing beforehand you'll find several recipes in Amy's 
book. But this is the dish your coldslaw is going on the 
table in, isn't it? Oh, you must give me a common 
kitchen dish to dress it in. I want to 'touzle' it round 
and round and cut it up into convenient lengths, and the 
dish wont look nice at all when I've done. You have 
some beets, I believe, haven't you?" 

" Here are some that Annie boild yesterday morning, 
and I've just cut them up; but they dont seem very fresh. 
They ought to have been put in vinegar." 

" Put them over in a sauce-pan with just a very little 
boiling water, and when that is boiled away stir in a lump 
of butter, then serve them hot. I like them better that 
way than the other. What have you for dessert? " 

"Only some peaches, and they're not cut up! Bertie, 
can't you peel some peaches for sister?" 

" It isn't necessary to have them cut up, Dora," inter- 
posed her aunt. " They are quite as suitable for dessert 
set on whole, only then you must have finger-glasses and 
doyleys. But it's no trouble to speak of to wipe the finger- 
glasses, and it takes a long time to cut up the peaches; so 



A SURPRISE. 47 

if you'll take my advice, you'll dispense with tliatpart of 
it." 

"I'll dispense with, anything, Aunt Jane! I think I 
could even dispense with dinner if I could get rid of 
cooking it." 

"Oh, nonsense! You'll change your tune as soon as 
you get something to eat. You're tired now, and need a 
good rest. Some of us will come in after dinner and 
help you along a little." 

As Mrs. King had predicted, Dora felt very much en- 
couraged — partly by her dinner, and partly by her father's 
praise of the neatness and good order of everything. 
They finished the roast-beef, which still preserved its 
shape in spite of the previous attacks upon it; the pota- 
toes were done to a turn, being all of a size, and Dora 
having tried them until she found they were just right; 
Aunt Jane's cold-slaw was always inimitable, and the 
beets were delicate and tender. The children helped 
carry out the dishes, and then the boys betook themselves 
to their lessons, and the little girls to their story-books, 
until bed-time. 

As Dora was casting a rather hopeless glance around 
on the confused masses of dishes and utensils that filled 



48 DOEi's HOUSE KEEPING. 

every inch of tables, sink and shelves, Cousin Helen ap- 
peared at the door. 

" I saw you through the window," said she, " brushing 
the table-cloth, so I thought my time had come. Now, 
you won't mind my lecturing you all the while as we go 
along, will you? I know you want to learn how to do 
things in the best way, and you've never had any prac- 
tice yet." 

"No, indeed, Cousin Helen; I shall be glad to have 
you tell me every little thing." 

" We must get the eatables out of the way the first 
thing; butter should never stand in the hot kitchen one 
moment, except when you are cooking with it. That 7 s a 
nice piece in the butter-dish; just take it off and lay it 
in the crock until the saucer is washed, and then you can 
put it back and set it in the ice-box all ready for break- 
fast. There isn't much beef to put away, but take off 
what there is and put it on a small plate, and it will do 
for Mother Moppett's lunch to-morrow; people that work 
hard like some meat in the middle of the day. Put the 
beets into the smallest dish with a little vinegar; they'll 
come in well for lunch, and the potatoes will make a nice 
dish for breakfast. I see your apron doesn't come down 



A SURPRISE. 49 

to the bottom of your dress ; let me turn the dress up and 
pin it behind you, and I'll pin up the sleeves too. 5 ' 

" If I'm going to turn cook I think I'd better have an 
outfit for the purpose," said Dora. 

" Tou can't be cook and keep up with your classes at 
school at the same time; this is only for once in a while, 
you know. Now let us turn to and attack these dishes. 
If I were you, I wouldn't wash the greasy ones; scrape 
them thoroughly and leave them in piles for Mrs. Mopp. 
She can do them with the breakfast things, just as well 
as not. "We'll wash the glass and silver, and the fruit 
plates. Did you smooth over the salt-cellars before you 
put them away?" 

" Yes, Aunt Jane told me about that." 

" Oh, look at that loaf of bread standing in this hot 
air all this time! — I never noticed it. Mother won't let 
a loaf stay on the kitchen table even while we are at din- 
ner; it dries it up so. It ought to be put back in the 
box and covered tight as soon as you have done cutting 
from it." 

" I wish I'd asked Annie to teach me how to make 
bread," said Dora. " She might have done it on Satur- 
day." 

4 



50 dora's housekeeping. 

" Wait till the holidays, when you can give your whole 
mind to it; or, perhaps, some other Saturday, when 
you've settled down again. It's a grand thing to learn. 
"What are you going to have for breakfast?" 

" I havn't an idea. 5 '' 

"Have you eggs in the house?" 

"I don't know; I'll look and see." 

" And a ham ; see if there isn't one that's been cut." 

Dora returned after investigating, and announced half 
a ham, but no eggs. 

" I'll send you in some when I go home," said Mrs. 
Grant. " Ham and eggs, properly cooked, and fried po- 
tatoes ditto, are a breakfast fit for a — Greenwood. Now 
there's another thing you'll have to see to always unless 
you have a fully competent woman in the kitchen, and 
that is, to keep a constant supply on hand of necessary 
articles. Old housekeepers have a list of them in their 
heads, but I think it would be a good plan for you to 
have one on paper until you get used to it. Flour, salt, 
butter, eggs, lard, molasses, vinegar, potatoes and all 
kinds of vegetables that will keep, Indian and oat meal 
and whatever other kinds of meal you use, kerosene, 
lamp-wicks, pepper and other spices, (never mind about 



A SURPRISE, 51 

the order of them), rice, hominy, barley, macaroni, crack- 
ers, starch, yeast-cakes if you use them, soda, cream tar- 
tar, baking-powder, and I don't know what all besides." 

" I should think that was enough," said Dora. 

"Ton won't find it so when you begin to provide 
things by yourself. Then there's ham, salt pork, smoked 
beef, codfish, bacon, and all those things that are good on 
an emergency, and another set that you need for desserts; 
gelatine, corn starch, sago, tapioca, farina, lemons, raisins, 
dried currants, citron, and wine if you use it — some peo- 
ple don't, and have very good tables, too. I suppose you 
have tea, coffee, and sugar by the quantity." 

" Yes; boxes and bags and barrels of them. Will you 
write out that list for me, cousin Helen?" 

"Yes; that is what I was going to do. You know 
they're not all by any means necessary, but they are all 
convenient. I'll arrange the 'must-haves' at the top 
and the ' may-wants ' below, so you needn't trouble your- 
self with those unless you have plenty of time." 

" There, I believe that's the last," said Dora, as she 
prepared to wring out her dish-cloth. 

"When I've been doing a regular dish- washing," 
answered her cousin, " I throw out the water and wash 



52 dora's housekeeping. 

out the pan and cloth with some fresh hot suds; if you 
don't they will smell greasy. And you know greasy 
water must never be thrown into the sink ; it clogs the 
pipes. You have to carry it to the sewer-hole outside." 

" I shouldn't think it would do any harm," said Dora, 
" it's all water." 

" Every little particle of grease that lodges against the 
side of the pipe hardens there, and finally makes a cake 
that either fills up the pipe altogether, if there is a bend 
in it, or makes the water run out more slowly. But 
how dim the lamp is getting." 

" Annie must have forgotten it, or perhaps she didn't 
do any of them this morning. I'll get the can and fill 
it." 

" Not for your eyes! Never, never, never fill a lamp 
in the evening if there's any earthly way of avoiding it. 
See if there isn't another ready; if not, we'll light a 
candle." 

" I could do it carefully, cousin Helen," said Dora, as 
she brought another lamp from the closet. 

" You might do it without danger if you put it out 
first and let it get entirely cold, and then set your lighted 
candle ever so far off, to fill it by; but the best way is 



A SURPRISE. 53 

to make a rule that it shall never be done. Half of the 
frightful accidents we read of are from people's filling 
lamps while they are lighted, and another quarter by 
having a light near them while ' they are filled.' " 

" And the other quarter? " 

" Probably by letting them fall as they are carried 
about, or knocking them over; I never counted." 

" You forget the times when cooks kindle a fire with 
kerosene." 

"So I do; and that reminds me that mother always 
keeps her can under lock and key until she is sure what 
kind of girl she has. Ours is always directed to fill the 
lamps as soon as she has done her breakfast; then if we 
have any doubts of her, we watch to see that she does it, 
and afterward lock up the can till the next morning." 

"Now I may as well settle about breakfast," said 
Dora. 

" The ham ought to be parboiled before it is fried, or 
rather soaked in warm water," said Mrs. Grant. "It 
makes it so much more delicate. If you'll bring it up 
I'll get it all ready to-night, for I know mother Mopp. 
won't have the patience to do' it. She is one of the slash- 
ing kind. She'd cut it in great thick slices, then fry it 



54 

for ten minutes over a fire hot enough to scorch it with- 
out cooking it through, and send it in with a feeling of 
perfect self satisfaction." 

Mrs. Grant cut some thin, even slices from the ham, 
carefully trimmed off the rind and laid them in a saucepan, 
pouring hot water over them. " After they have soaked 
half an hour," said she, " I'll pour off the water and 
they'll be all ready to go on the fire in the morning. I'll 
send in the eggs as soon as I go home, and if you want 
them really nice, you must poach them yourself. Mrs. 
Mopp. will fry them until they're as tough as leather." 

" What kind of thing must I do them in?" 

" A frying pan, in water that is just simmering, not 
boiling. You can tell by the looks of them when they 
are done. As soon as the whites are set so that you don't 
see any liquid part about them, they are ready, and you 
must take them out carefully without any water and lay 
them on the ham. Have you any parsley? " 

"I think not." 

" This is one of the dishes that looks very pretty with 
a garnish of curled parsley round the edge — but no mat- 
ter. Now bring along your potatoes. Just take off the 
outermost layer of brown skin, that flakes off easily. 



A SURPRISE. 55 

The inside one won't do any harm. Then yon must take 
a very sharp knife and cut them in slices as you would a 
loaf of bread, and they'll fry beautifully. Its fortunate 
they were not overdone, or they would crumble. Did 
you ever make coffee?" 

" No," said Dora, " and papa thinks more of his coffee 
than of anything else. I wonder if Mrs. Moppett knows 
how?" 

" After her fashion, no doubt she does; but I wouldn't 
trust her. Just look in Amy's book, No. 31, and you'll 
find the exact directions. Half the quantities given 
there will be plenty, of course. You couldn't very well 
make less than that. Take only the white of an egg and 
save the yolk for something else." 

" I wonder if I ought to do anything with the clothes 
to-night?" asked Dora. 

" I declare, you're a better housekeeper than I am! I 
forgot all about them. Oh, that good Annie! They are 
all ready to sprinkle and fold down — starched things and 
all. How she must have worked! " 

" I think it was the least she could do," said Dora, who 
still cherished feelings of resentment against the deserter. 
"Will you show me how much water I ought to put on 
them?" 



56 dora's housekeeping. 

"Not to-night; do you go straight to your lessons and 
forget everything else until you're called in the morning. 
Ask your father to wake you early, and then you can 
sleep comfortably. If you have anything on your mind 
you'll be waking up at all sorts of hours from three 
o'clock on; at least, I always do. I'll fold down the 
clothes ; I like to." 

" Oh, Cousin Helen, how good you are! I wish I could 
do something for you." 

" Not a bit of it. You'll have plenty of chances in the 
course of your life to do just as much for other people. 
All you need is to be ready when the time comes. That's 
the best way to return favors ; it makes no difference who 
the other party is. Now be off with you, and don't let 
me see your face again to-night." 

So Dora learned her lessons and went to bed, fully con- 
vinced in her own mind that her Cousin Helen was the 
third best woman in the world. When the clothes were 
folded down ready for ironing, the latter made a visit 
to Mr. Greenwood, who was reading in the parlor. 

"What do you want for dinner to-morrow, Uncle 
Will?" said she. 

" We have just had beef; suppose I send home a leg of 
mutton?" 



A SURPRISE. 57 

" Yery well; and please send some turnips and toma- 
toes with it. You won't expect any made desserts while 
you are without a cook?" 

"£T-no; but I'm very tired of peaches." 

"Do you like cooked pears?" inquired his niece. 

" Yes, they're good," said Mr. Greenwood. 

"Then please send home half a peck of the right kind, 
and tell Dora that she will find some new recipes in her 
book — all she'll need for dinner to-morrow. I'll just sit 
down and copy them here, and leave the book with you." 

"Will you have a pencil?" asked Mr. Greenwood. 

" No, I thank you ! I've strained my eyes too much 
in trying to decipher old recipes scribbled in pencil. I 
always write them in ink, now. This is to be in use for 
the next twenty years, you know." And providing her- 
self with pen and ink, Mrs. Grant wrote out the follow- 
ing: 

Roast Leg of Mutton. 
Allow twelve minutes to every pound, if your fire is 
quick; if slow, fifteen; rather more in proportion if the 
piece is small. Place the leg in a dripping-pan, and 
pour over it a teacupful of boiling water. Sprinkle it 
with a little salt and pepper; when it begins to roast, 



58 

place a small lump of butter on the top, and dredge with 
flour. Baste once in fifteen minutes; at first with salted 
water kept ready in a bowl, and as soon as there is enough 
of it, with the gravy. Thicken the gravy with a little 
browned flour. N. B. — Currant jelly is particularly suit- 
able with roast mutton. 

Potatoes au naturel. 
Take potatoes as nearly of a size as possible, pare them, 
and cover them with boiling water, allowing an even tea- 
spoonful of salt to each quart. Boil until done, which 
will be in half an hour, if they are of moderate size; less, 
if they are very small. When done, drain off the water 
and let them stand in the pot, uncovered, five minutes 
longer. Then dish quickly, and serve. If boiled in their 
jackets — that is, with the skins on — a piece of skin 
should be cut from each end, or a strip round the middle, 
and if served without paring, a small sauce-plate must 
be set at each place at table for the skins. If your family 
require potatoes always for breakfast, be sure to cook an 
extra quantity for dinner. 

Boiled Turnips. 
Salt the water as for potatoes; plunge them in when it 



A SURPRISE. 59 

is boiling; the time required will be from twenty min- 
utes, for very young ones, to an hour for old ones ; must be 
kept boiling every minute. If tender enough to eat with- 
out mashing, cut them into the size of small turnips and 
cover with drawn-butter sauce; or, stir in among them 
butter, pepper and salt to taste. If older, mash them 
very smooth in a tin-pan, with a wooden spoon, first 
draining off all the water in a colander; then season with 
salt and butter, sprinkling pepper over the top. 

Stewed Tomatoes. 
Begin to prepare the tomatoes at least an hour before 
dinner. Lay them in boiling water until the skins will 
come off easily, then cut them small and cook in a tin or 
porcelain-lined sauce-pan — never in iron. Season with 
pepper and salt, cover closely, and stew until perfectly 
tender. Then stir in (for a family of from six to eight 
persons) a tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of white 
sugar, and enough grated stale bread-crumbs, or rolled 
cracker, to thicken. Pour into a dish that will stand 
heat, and set in the oven for fifteen minutes. 

Baked Peaks. 
Wash them clean, pack them in a round baking-dish 



60 

which can be closely covered, pour a cupful of water in 
the bottom of the dish, and bake until perfectly soft all 
through. For sweet pears no sugar need be added; for 
the common baking pear, a cup-full previously dissolved 
in the water will not be too much for a moderate-sized 
baking dish. 

Stewed Pears. 
Out the blossom end out of sweet pears and stew until 
tender, in water enough to cover them; add sugar to 
taste, and stew very slowly for a quarter of an hour 
longer. Then take out the pears and lay dry in a dish; 
throw into the syrup half a dozen cloves and the same 
of whole allspice, boil fifteen minutes and pour over the 
fruit while hot. 

When Mrs. King went in early the next morning to 
reconnoitre, she found Dora pouring over her receipt- 
book. 

"What is 'basting,' aunt Jane?" 

" Pouring gravy or water over meat ; generally what 
is in the baking-pan. You do it with a long -handled 
iron spoon." 

" I know what i dredging ' is, but how do you brown 
flour for the gravy?" 



A SURPRISE. 61 

"Put it into a very clean frying pan, and shake it 
round until it looks as brown as toast, but don't let it 
burn. 55 

" "Why do you say potatoes ' au naturel? ' " 

" Oh, we call them so at home, just for fun, because 
that is the French expression. It would seem to imply 
that plain boiling was the natural way to cook vegeta- 
bles, and all others artificial." 

" There's no receipt for drawn butter sauce." 

"You'll find that in Amy's book, No. 178. How did 
you make out for breakfast this morning?" 

" Yery nicely; Mrs. Moppett was here early and I came 
down half an hour before breakfast to set the table, and 
found Cousin Helen had set it over night! wasn't it 
sweet in her? So I saw to the cooking generally, and 
made the coffee and poached the eggs all by myself, and 
everything was good. But just think! Mrs. Moppett 
says she can't possibly come to-morrow! " 

" Perhaps we shall hear of some one else by that time. 
You must get Miss Weston to excuse you as many hours 
as possible from school, and do what you can at home." 

" Yes, she said yesterday I could be excused at eleven 
and needn't come again till two. I can do ever so much 



62 

in that time. Mrs. Mopp. is only going to wash the 
dishes and then go directly to ironing; I can do all the 
rest." 

" Be sure to call on her for all the heavy work, lifting 
kettles and so on. Yon mnstn't strain yonr back. Do 
yon think yon can get a dinner with her help after yonr 
consin Helen's directions?" 

" Oh, yes, I know I can. Papa is going to send home 
everything I shall need. Which way shall I do the 
pears? " 

" Baking is the easiest, so cook them that way to-day. 
Another time yon can try the receipt for stewing." 



OHAPTEK IV 

Sophie's lessons. 

By flying round " like a pea on a hot shovel," as James 
irreverently and ungratefully said, Dora managed to 
accomplish the minor business of the house — making 
beds, brushing up, dusting, filling lamps and giving the 
children their lunch, in the intervals before and between 
school-sessions. It was not quite as thoroughly done, 
perhaps, as if she had taken the whole morning to it, but 
it did very well, and gave Mrs. Moppett an undisturbed 
day for her ironing. 

Next came the grand business of preparing the dinner, 
and by following closely the written directions it was 
served precisely at six in creditable style. It was the 
custom in the family, where a good sized roast always 
lasted two days, to have it cooked rather rare on the first 
day, and cut from one side only; on the second it was 
put into the oven half an hour beforehand, or longer if 
the fire was slow, and made its appearance a second time, 



64 dora's housekeeping. 

looking just as well as at first, though perhaps a little 
more done than would have suited an epicure. All gravy 
left over, especially that on the dish, was carefully saved, 
and with what the meat was basted with when re-cooked, 
and a little browned flour, made a good dish for the second 
cooking. 

The next day's meat being thus provided, the vege- 
tables came next in order, and Mrs. Grant having made 
the selection, wrote dowm the recipes, as follows : 

Mashed Potato. 

Boil pared potatoes with very little salt so as to be 
ready fifteen or twenty minutes before dinner. Then 
drain thoroughly, sprinkle over them the rest of the salt 
needed, and mash in the iron pot with a wooden masher. 
Stir in while doing this, a table-spoonful of butter for an 
ordinary dishfull, and milk enough to work smoothly. 
Be sure to leave no lumps in it. When perfectly smooth, 
pack into a dish, round it up over the top, and set into a 
quick oven to brown. 

It is well to prepare about twice as much potato as will 
be wanted for dinner, putting the additional quantity in 
an oval kitchen dish and smoothing it over the top with- 



65 

out browning. This may be used for breakfast in two 
ways. Out into slices about half an inch thick and fry 
on the griddle, or make into small flat balls, with a little 
more milk if necessary, and fry in a frying pan. 

Succotash. 

Shell your beans and cut the corn from the cob (if 
string beans are used, cut them into very short pieces); 
allow one-third more corn than beans, cover them with 
boiling water and stew half an hour, or three-quarters if 
the corn is rather old, stirring occasionally. Then pour 
off most of the water and add a large cupful of milk; 
stew in this very gently for an hour, taking care that it 
does not burn, then add a tablespoonful of butter rubbed 
together with a teaspoonful of flour, and pepper and salt 
to taste. This dish will bear more pepper than most 
vegetables. Serve hot. 

In winter, if this dish is made with dried beans, these 
will need boiling until tender before the canned corn is 
put in. Heat the corn boiling hot in a separate saucepan 
before adding it, and put in with it a piece of boiled salt 
pork. Let all simmer together for half an hour, take out 
the pork, and serve. 
5 



66 

Cauliflower. 

If your cauliflower is large and handsome, take off 
the leaves and cook it whole, cutting off the stalk close to 
the flower. Place it in the saucepan with the stalk down, 
and cover with a mixture of boiling hot milk and water, 
slightly salted. Stew very gently until done, which will 
be in about half an hour if it boils all the time; then 
drain in a colander, lay carefully in a dish, and cover with 
hot drawn butter. Very particular cooks let the flowers 
lie in cold salt and water for half an hour, with the heads 
downward. 

If the cauliflowers are small and poor, cut them into 
clusters which you can hold in a tablespoon, lay them in 
salt and water to draw out any insects that may be con 
cealed, and stew as above for fifteen minutes. The?> 
drain off all but about half a teacupful of water, cover 
with half a cupful of thickened milk in which two table- 
spoonfuls of butter have been dissolved, and stew five 
minutes longer. Always serve in a covered dish. 

Batter Pudding. 
One pint milk, four eggs, beaten separately, two cups 
flour, one teaspoon salt, a pinch soda. Bake in a but- 



Sophie's lessons. 67 

tered dish three-quarters of an hour. If the rest of the 
dinner and changing plates will occupy half an hour, do 
not put in the pudding to bake until fifteen minutes be- 
fore dinner, as it ought to be served the moment it is 
taken from the oven. Eat with sweet sauce. 

You can boil this pudding if you wish in a well-but- 
teuwl mould, taking care that the water never stops boil- 
ing for an instant. Time, two hours. 

Peach Pudding. 
Pare whole peaches and cover the bottom of a pud- 
ding-dish closely with them, then pour over a batter 
made as above. It will require somewhat longer baking 
than without the peaches. 

" Well, Dora, what do you think of my bill of fare? " 
asked Mrs. Grant, when she had finished writing. 

u But, Cousin Helen," answered the young cook with 
a look of dismay, " Mrs. Moppett isn't coming to-morrow, 
and I shall be all alone!" 

u Bless your heart! I didn't know that. Then we'll 
alter the bill of fare entirely. Ask Mrs. Mopp. to wash 
a pan full of potatoes and leave them all ready for bak- 
ing; boil some green corn on the cob — you know how to 



68 

take off the husks and silk, don't you? — and slice up 
some coldslaw, and let each one dress it for himself. That 
will be a nice dinner, and almost no trouble. Don't for- 
get to salt the water for the corn; it will need to boil 
about half an hour. As for the dessert, I'll make some- 
thing and send in from our house. Have you anything 
for breakfast?" 

" I don't know," said Dora. 
"Do you ever eat mackerel?" 
" Yes, we have a keg of it in the cellar." 
"That will do, then; cut up the cold potatoes from 
dinner and do them according to the maitre (Photel 
recipe in Amy's book. They go well with mackerel. If 
you want another dish, scrambled eggs are nice and 
easy." 

" How shall I do them?" asked Dora. 
" Here are the recipes: " 

Salt Mackerel. 

Soak over-night in lukewarm milk and water. The 

first thing in the morning, pour off this and lay it in the 

coldest water you have. Split it flat through the middle, 

and fifteen minutes before breakfast lay it on a well-but- 



Sophie's lessons. 69 

tered gridiron, the inside downward. As soon as it begins 
to brown turn it, and when done lay it on a hot dish, 
butter it, and sprinkle on pepper — not too much, as more 
can be added afterward. If you wish it very nice, cover 
it with another hot dish of the same shape for a few 
minutes before sending to table. 

Scrambled Eggs. 
Break the eggs whole into a bowl, allowing two for 
each person at table; heat a tablespoonful of butter very 
hot in a frying pan, turn in the eggs and stir constantly 
for three minutes, adding a little pepper and salt. Have 
ready beforehand some buttered toast laid in a dish and 
cut into pieces suitable for helping, pour the eggs upon 
this and serve immediately. 

" You needn't make the toast, you know," said Mrs. 
Grant, "if you're pressed for time; but I put it in for 
future use." 

" I don't think we have bread enough to last over to- 
morrow," said Dora. " It's baking day." 

"You must buy it, of course, until you get some one 
here regularly. We're looking out for you, you know, 
with all our might. Mother Mopp. will come on Thurs- 
day, won't she?" 



70 dora's housekeeping. 

"Yes, I believe so." 

" Just leave all the dinner dishes for her, as you did 
before, and then, as she has very little more ironing, she 
can make the beds and put the house in order, and you 
can go to school as usual. How did you make out with 
the coffee?" 

" Papa said it was very good, but that he didn't care 
for it so strong." 

" I'll give you another recipe:" 

Coffee. 
Take two heaping tablespoonfuls of ground coffee, stir 
them up well with the white of an egg (this you can do 
when eggs are plenty; when they are not, a little cold 
water and a piece of well-dried fish-skin will do) ; pour on 
one pint of boiling water and boil gently for ten minutes; 
then set it on the back of the stove; when it stops boil- 
ing, dash in quickly a tablespoonful of cold water; let it 
stand for five minutes, then pour carefully from the boiler 
into the coffee pot. 

Soyer's Coffee. 
Put the coffee dry into the pot over the fire; stir it 
while heating; pour over boiling water in the proportion 



71 

of a quart to an ounce; keep it hot, but not boiling, for 
ten minutes; then serve. 

" Now let us put the mackerel to soak and set the table," 
said Cousin Helen. " We can cut up the potatoes and 
set everything where it will be most easily got at in the 
morning, and ask Mrs. Moppett to leave wood ready by 
the stove. You won't need coal to cook the breakfast 
by. I'll ask your father to send James down at six 
o'clock to make the fire, and I'll come in and help with 
the breakfast things." 

" Don't you think I might better stay at home from 
school?" 

"Certainly not; leave the key with us and we'll have 
an eye to the house and see that nobody breaks in ; you 
can come home as you did to-day and do what there 
isn't time for in the morning, and that very simple din- 
ner you'll have no trouble with. You'll not need any 
more fire until the afternoon, so it can go down after 
we've washed the breakfast things. This is all good 
practice for you in house-keeping, little woman; better 
than if you had an Annie always at your side! And 
when you do get another good one, your peace of mind 
will be something delightful." 



72 

A short time before the dinner was ready the next 
afternoon, Amy appeared with a dish on which stood a 
beautiful mould of blancmange, and another of wine 

" Mamma, let me make these for you myself," said 
she; "the receipts for them are in my little book. I 
made twice as much of each, and we are to have the 
other half for dinner at home. And mamma says she 
has engaged a girl for you, and she'll be in about seven 
o'clock this evening." 

"Oh, good, good!" exclaimed Dora, taking the dish 
fron: the little messenger and kissing her rapturously. 
" You dear little tot! Did you do it all alone? " 

"Yes, only mamma told me how." 

" I'd like to see Milly cooking! However, she's a year 
younger than you. Tell Aunt Jane I'm very, very much 
obliged, and that I shall welcome her new girl as my 
dearest friend." 

True to her appointment, a rosy-cheeked German girl 
appeared at the hour named, just as the family were ris- 
ing from the dinner table. Mrs. King had thought it 
best not to come in to introduce her, but to leave Dora 
to feel out her own way. 



73 

"What is your name?" asked the youug lady, after 
the usual greetings had passed. 

" Sophie." 

"Have you been used to working for a family?" 

" Yes, very used." 

" Can you do all kinds of work, washing, and cooking, 
and everything? " 

" Yes, the lady where I lived did not keep no other 
girl, and she have a very large family." 

"Very well, I think you will suit me; now take off 
your things and you can clear off the table, and I'll show 
you where to put the dishes. Or perhaps you want some 
dinnei? " 

" No, I have had my supper before I came." 

So Dora began by showing her new maid all the 
arrangements of her dining-room closet; how the glasses 
must go together on one shelf, the finger-bowls in another 
place, the forks and large spoons each in its own com- 
partment of the spoon-basket, and the teaspoons in the 
little place at the end — " never mix the forks and spoons, 
for you know they scratch each other" — how the table- 
cloths had their drawer, the best ones in a pile at the 
back, and those for everyday use in front, and the nap- 



74 doea's housekeeping. 

kins — breakfast, dinner and tea — must lie each, on its own 
pile and not intrude upon its neighbor's; then how the 
crumbs on the carpet must be brushed up, and the dust- 
pan and brush be returned each to its own nail, — all this 
and much more did the enthusiastic young housekeeper 
detail without noticing the look of weary patience in her 
listener, which would have served -as a warning to a per- 
son of more experience. The dining-room service being 
finished they proceeded to the kitchen, where a new set 
of instructions awaited the puzzled handmaid. 

" Now here are the brooms ; this best one is to sweep 
the carpets, and the other for the bare floors. Tou must 
never set them down on the floor — that ruins them, you 
know— but always hang them by the string on these 
nails. And when you sweep, never sweep the dust out 
of one room into another, or out of doors; always take 
it up in the dust-pan in each room. It makes less dust, 
and saves trouble in the end. Always keep plenty of hot 
water on the stove; you can't wash up the dinner dishes 
and all the pots and kettles without changing the water 
several times. These soft towels are for glass and silver, 
and the crash ones for the rest, and when you get through 
with them it's best not to hang them up in a string, but 



Sophie's lessoks. 75 

spread them over the backs of chairs until they are dry, 
and then fold them up, all but one that you hang up for 
occasional use." 

Then followed an elaborate series of directions about 
the care of the fragments of the feast; how no fat was 
ever to be thrown away, and no remains of vegetables 
or desserts set away in the table dishes, which would 
have to be washed before being used again, but in kitchen 
dishes, that the others might be washed and put away; 
how the knives should be scoured before being put in the 
box, to be ready for the next meal, and so forth. All 
these things Dora had learned from her Cousin Helen, 
and took it for granted that the cook was as ignorant as 
the school girl had been. 

" Now we must think about breakfast," said she when 
she had exhausted herself on the subject of dish-washing. 
" There is plenty of meat on that mutton-bone for a nice 
dish, and I'll tell you a good way to warm it up." So 
she read from Amy's book the recipe for " mutton re- 
chauffe" " Do you think you could do that ? " 

" Oh, yes; I always warm it over so." 

"And be sure you save the bone for soup. Don't 
throw it away. What shall we do for potatoes? Here 
isn't a beginning of enough for breakfast." 



76 dora's housekeeping. 

" Dey will do just as well raw; I will make you a nice 
dish of dem." 

" Oh, I didn't know you could have raw potatoes cut 
up small. How do you do them?" 

" I cut dem up in little small squares after dey are 
pared, and let dem soak in cold water while I am setting 
de table; then I fry in a good deal of very hot lard — 
enough for dem to swim in." 

" Can you make bread?" 

" Oh, yes; shall I set a sponge to-night?" 

" A sponge ? What is that? " 

" It is de beginning of de bread, when you put de yeast 
for to rise." 

" Yes, you'd better set a sponge; but what shall we do 
for breakfast? I don't think there's enough bread even 
for that, and it's awfully dry." 

" I can make you some light rolls out of my sponge, 
and de dry bread shall be for milk-toast with your lunch." 

" All right; we'll do it that way. I suppose you know 
about coffee?" 

" Yes, I tink you will like my coffee. All de people 
where I have live say it was very good." 

"Then I think that's all. Oh! Papa said he should 
like some oatmeal porridge. Did you ever make that?" 



Sophie's lessons. 77 

" Yes, every morning." 

"What is your receipt?" 

"Keceipt?" 

u Yes; the way you make it." 

"Oh! I take tree pints boiling water, one teaspoonful 
salt, one pint oatmeal, and I boil it for ten minutes 
and stir it very often, with one wooden spoon ; and before 
I begin I pick out all de little black speckles." 

"Well, I suppose that's right; at all events we can 
try it. Now, I'll go if you think you can get along by 
yourself." 

" I tink so. Please what time you have breakfast? " 

" Half-past seven exactly; papa is very punctual." 

And at half-past seven exactly the breakfast was on the 
table, beautifully cooked; the room had been nicely 
dusted, and the rosy-cheeked maid stood ready to give a 
smiling " good morning " to her mistress. 

"Good morning, Sophy; oh, mercy, what a looking 
table! I forgot to tell you how to set it. We never put 
on the things that way." And Dora darted around, 
straightning and arranging things in her own fashion, 
regardless of the hurt looks of the cook, who could not 
have been expected to know by instinct a mode she had 
never heard of. 



78 doea's housekeeping. 

" The waiter always goes at the end of the table — not 
in the middle — and the knives must be put straight at 
the side of the plate and the forks laid across beyond the 
plate so as just to touch them, — not that way, but with 
the handles to the left, where you want to take hold of 
them — and you havn't put on any mats, and the tumb- 
lers must go at the right-hand side of the plates, and the 
spoons for breakfast are laid in front of each dish — it is 
only for dinner that we put them round the salt-cellars; 
and you haven't warmed the plates! You know we need 
them hot for breakfast, just the same as for dinner, or 
the meat will be spoiled, and — " 

" My dear Dora," interposed her father, who had just 
came in and heard the latter part of her directions, 
"don't make such a fuss about trifles; Sophy can learn 
all these little matters gradually. It is of no conse- 
quence how the table looks, provided the things taste 
good, and that I'm sure they do, for they look capital, 
and the smell alone is enough to give you an appetite. 
I think Sophy has done extremely well." 

The girl looked pleased with Mr. Greenwood's praise, 
and Dora, somewhat abashed, left her catalogue of omis- 
sions unfinished. 



Sophie's lessons. 79 

" You can go up into the bedrooms now, 55 said she, in 
an aside, " and take off all the bed-clothea and hang 
them on chairs and leave them to air; then yon can 
empty the slops and put the washstands in order — you'll 
find all the things for it in that large closet next to your 
room, — then you can brush down the stairs with the dust- 
pan and brush, and be sure to go well into the corners, 
and brush up the halls as you go along, and then dust 
the parlors and pick up any little thing you see on the 
carpet (the duster and all those things are in the little 
closet at the end of the hall), and by that time we shall 
have done our breakfast and you can clear off the table. 
Oh, stop a minute," she called out, as Sophie was going 
up stairs, " what's this in the cream-pitcher?" 

" That is what you call mock cream ; I see you had no 
real cream, some people like dis better." 

" We generally have boiled milk, but I dare say this is 
very nice." 

So Mr. Greenwood found it on tasting his coffee, and 
desired Dora to procure the recipe, which was as follows: 

Mock Cream. 
Heat a quart of new milk; work together a dessert- 



80 doea's housekeeping. 

spoonful of sweet butter with a teaspoonful flour, thin it 
with a little of the hot milk (not boiling) ; when perfectly 
smooth add the rest of the milk and boil five minutes, 
stirring constantly, then remove from the fire and beat 
for five minutes longer; have ready the yolks of two eggs 
beaten very light and stir into the cream while hot, mix 
well, strain through a fine sieve, and beat again until per- 
fectly light. Do not put this over the fire again after the 
eggs are added, but keep warm. 

" Let me know as soon as you have done your break- 
fast," said Dora when Sophie came down to clear the 
table, " and I'll go up and show you about the bedrooms." 

" I don't care for any breakfast yet, I'd rather go now," 
replied Sophie. 

" Would you really? Well, that will do all the better 
for me, because then I can get off to school in time. But 
I'm afraid you're hungry." 

Sophie protested that she was not, and Dora took her 
on a tour through the rooms. 

" The things about the washstands all look very clean, 
but they're not on straight; the basin ought to be exactly 
in the middle of the washstand and the other things at 



81 

the ends; and the soap-dish must be covered and the 
wash-cloth wrung out and spread on the towel rack just 
like a towel. And then these towels are not even; some 
of them hang down ever so much farther than others. 
You'll find a can and rags for the bed-room lamps in the 
same closet where the slop-pail is; we never have the 
lamps carried up and down stairs if we can help it. The 
other can is in one of the kitchen closets. You ought to 
have opened the windows when you took off the bed- 
clothes; mamma tried to make the children do it, but 
they never remember it. However, if we do it now, the 
beds will be aired enough to make up by the time you've 
done your breakfast. We don't roll up the nightgowns 
and put them under the pillows — the doctor says it isn't 
healthy — they must all be hung up in the closets. 
There's a bag for soiled clothes in every room, and when 
you find anything dirty lying round the floor, you must 
put it in the bag in the closet. All the general house- 
linen goes into the basket in the linen-closet, and you 
gather them all up Monday morning. There is a bag for 
soiled tablecloths and napkins down stairs." 

"What is going to be for dinner?" inquired Sophie 
when Dora paused for want of breath. 
6 



82 doea's housekeeping. 

"I don't know, but Papa '11 send home something; he 
always does, and then you can cook it accordingly. You 
can take the mutton-bone and break it up very fine with 
the axe, and boil it to-day for to-morrow's soup. You 
know how to make soup? " 

" Yes, we always had it every day. And shall I make 
you one of my own Germany puddings? I tink you 
will like it." 

"Yes, do," said Dora; "and now it's time for me to 
get the children ready for school, so I'll leave you to 
yourself." 

" I do not tink dere will be enough bones here to make 
a good soup," said Sophie. " If your Papa will send a 
small piece shank-bone home, just two or tree pounds, 
it will be much better." 

" He is gone," said Dora, " but I'll stop at the butcher's 
on my way to school and order it. And be sure you have 
lunch ready when we come in from school, for we're 
always awfully hungry." 



OHAPTEE V. 

TOO GOOD TO LAST. 

The children were agreeably surprised by seeing a new 
dish at lunch, in addition to the milk-toast promised 
them. It consisted of eggs, boiled for ten minutes so as 
to be perfectly hard, then peeled, cut in two across the 
middle and laid on a dish, the flat sides downward; they 
were then covered with a thick drawn-butter sauce in 
which some parsley was chopped up. James pronounced 
it " prime," Bertie considered it " bully," and the girls 
testified their approbation by scraping the dish until not 
a scrap remained. 

"That was very nice milk-toast, Sophy," said Dora; 
" how did you make it?" 

" I rub a even tablespoonful of flour with tree of butter 
and a teaspoonful of salt; when dey are very smooth 
den I stir dem into de milk; de milk stand in a pan over 
boiling water; if you put it right on de stove it get 
lumpy, or perhaps it burn; den when it is tick enough I 



84 

take it off and set it where it will not get any more tick, 
but just keep warm. Den I make my toast very quick 
before a hot fire, and dip every slice in boiling water, and 
butter it a little before I lay it in de dish; and den pour 
de hot milk over it. It is better if you have a little real 
cream, besides de milk." 

" It is good enough, any way," answered Dora. " Now 
come into the parlor a minute; I want to show you about 
it." 

Sophie did as she was directed, and listened to a very 
minute explanation of the place in which each thing 
should be set; the proper point to which the shades should 
be lowered ; the necessity of placing the chairs with easy 
negligence, and not straight back against the wall — all of 
which was so much Greek to the bewildered German 
girl, who had spent her life in doing hard work, and could 
not appreciate the value of these little refinements. 
When Dora came home from school in the afternoon, she 
gave directions about the dinner-table, so as to avoid the 
disappointment of the morning. 

" Don't forget the mats ; the dishes are very likely to 
make ashy marks on the tablecloth if you do. Put the 
dish of meat before Papa and one of the vegetables before 



TOOGOODTOLAST. 85 

me and one at each side of the table. Then as fast as 
Papa helps the meat you take each plate and set it down 
from the right hand side, but when you hand round the 
vegetables afterward, and we have to help ourselves, you 
must do it from the left hand side, because that is the 
most convenient. You needn't put on any butter for 
dinner; we don't use it with hot meat. Cut the bread 
into solid chunks, as you saw it last night — not into thin 
pieces as we have it for breakfast and lunch. The sau- 
cers and spoons for the pudding must be ready on the 
sideboard before dinner; you can put them all together 
by me when you set on the pudding after you've brushed 
the tablecloth. When we get through dinner, you must 
take away all the plates first, because they don't look 
nice after they are done with; then the large dishes, and 
last of all the casters and salt-cellars, and pickles and 
such things." 

" Where shall I put de bread? " inquired the waiting- 
maid. 

" You must lay a piece by each plate, at the left hand 
side, and have a few pieces on a plate on the sideboard 
in case any one should want more. But they don't gen- 
erally." 



86 dora's housekeeping 

The dinner, which consisted of beefsteak, potatoes., 
beets and Lima beans, was as excellent as the breakfast; 
and the pudding was so exceedingly nice that Mr. Green- 
wood told Dora he would like her to get the recipe. So 
she asked for directions for that and the other dishes, and 
wrote them down in her book, only substituting her own 
language for the somewhat diffuse speech of the foreigner. 

To Broil Beefsteak. 
Place the steak on a gridiron over a clear fire, and as 
soon as the under side is seared over, take it up carefully 
with two forks and let the juice run off from the top on a 
platter, which must be set over a kettle of boiling water. 
Turn the steak, and while the other side is cooking cut 
up a lump of butter into the gravy on the hot platter, 
and add pepper and salt. Turn the steak twice more, 
allowing about three minutes to each time of cooking, 
making twelve minutes in all ; if the fire is good it will then 
be ready to dish. Lay it on the platter and press it down 
into the gravy, first on one side and then on the other; 
if there does not seem to be enough gravy, add more but- 
ter, but be sure to keep the platter hot all the time. 
Then turn another platter over it and let it stand in the 



TOO GOOD TO LAST. 87 

open oven five minutes while you are carrying in the rest 
of the dinner. Wipe the gravy neatly off the edge of 
the dish with a clean, damp cloth. 

Beets. 

Boil the beets whole, as cutting them loses the sweet 
juice. If old, they need to be boiled several hours. 
When they are perfectly tender, lay them in cold water 
and take off the skins. If very young they can be cut 
into two or four pieces lengthwise, but if old, into thin 
slices, then put them in a steamer to heat again. Boil 
together two tablespoonfuls vinegar, the same of melted 
butter, four of water, one not quite even full of coffee- 
sugar, one teaspoonful salt, half do. pepper; place the 
beets in the dish they are to be served in, cover quickly 
and serve hot. 

Lima Beans. 

Soak in a pan of cold water for an hour, then put over 
the fire with more water than enough to cover them; 
when stewed tender, pour off the water and stir in a lump 
of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot. 

Stewed Potatoes. 
If large, cut into halves or quarters. Soak in cold 



88 bora's housekeeping. 

water one hour, then put over the fire with fresh cold 
water enough to cover them, and salt. When nearly 
done, turn off all the water but about half a pint, add 
the same quantity of milk and bring to a boil. Stir in 
a large tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful flour rubbed 
smooth in cold milk, and a handful of chopped parsley. 
This is best for old potatoes. 

German Raised Pudding. 
Half a pound flour stirred into a pint milk; mix into 
the middle two tablespoonfuls lively homemade yeast; 
let it rise; when light add two ounces softened butter, 
six ounces blanched almonds chopped fine or pounded, 
with the white of an egg, a saltspoonful salt, half a pound 
Zante currants washed very clean, and five eggs beaten 
separately; mix well, and let it stand until light; cover 
closely, and boil for three hours; do not let the water 
come quite to the top of the bag or form, that the cook- 
ing may be done partly by steam; have boiling water 
always at hand to fill up with as it boils down too low T . 

Sophy's Pudding Sauce. 
Stir to a cream one cup of butter with two of granu- 
lated sugar; add one teacup boiling water; when partly 



TOO GOOD TO LAST. 89 

cooled stir in an egg beaten very light, and half a tea- 
spoon flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water; heat 
over the fire until it thickens sufficiently. A little nut- 
meg improves it, but be careful not to get in too much. 

Dora had been studying her lessons for more than an 
hour after dinner, and was just going to bed, when she 
was surprised by the sight of Sophie, who came into her 
room with bonnet and shawl on, and a small bundle of 
clothes in her hand. 

" I'm going away," said she; "I tink I can not do 
your work good enough to suit you." 

" Why, Sophy ! " exclaimed Dora, " you do it beautifully. 
What put that into your head?" 

" Dere are so many little tings I no understand. I 
always do hard work, but I cannot learn de little tings. 
You can get somebody suit you better." 

"No, I can't," said Dora, stoutly; " and it's no matter 
about the little things. You can soon learn to do them, 
and if you don't it's of no consequence. We can get 
along perfectly well. I don't wan't you to go away at 
all." 

" I must go ; my sister have found a place for me where 



90 

de lady she take care of de rooms and set de table, and I 
only do cooking and washing and ironing. I can not 
stay; she have promised for me." 

" But you ought not to leave me so without any notice, 
and nobody to cook the breakfast! " 

" I have left de potatoes in de dish all cut up and ready 
to heat over, and dere is plenty of bread; you can boil 
some eggs, and it will not be no worse for you dan it was 
de day I come here. Good bye." 

" But wait till I speak to papa. He will want to pay 
you, and perhaps he would give you more wages." 

"No, I would not take no pay for so little time, and I 
could not stay for no wages. Good bye." And Sophy 
made her way down stairs and out of the front door be- 
fore Dora could recover from her astonishment 

"When she appreciated the situation she burst into a 
torrent of tears, and cried until she had relieved her feel- 
ings somewhat, then slipped down stairs and into her 
Aunt Jane's, and with swelled eyes and choked utterance, 
told the story of her woes. 

" You poor child! " said Mrs. King, when she had by 
skillful questions drawn from Dora the whole account of 
her management since Sophy had been with her. "I 



TOO GOOD TO LAST. 91 

can see exactly how it was. Yon wanted perfect service, 
and thought the material was favorable, and so yon pnt 
a heavier load on Sophy than she was able to bear. If 
yon had asked her to cook and wash for a family of 
twenty, she wonld probably have done it cheerfully, bnt 
she couldn't stand the waiting. I remember making 
jnst snch a mistake in my yonng days. It's too bad! 
I wish I had warned yon, bnt it never occnrred to me." 

" It isn't for myself I care, Annt Jane," sobbed poor 
Dora, " bnt after yonr taking so mnch tronble for me, to 
have it go for nothing! And papa, I don't dare to face 
him! He liked Sophy's cooking so mnch, and he'll think 
I'm not fit to be a honsekeeper at all. Oh, dear! I 
wish I conld go to sleep and sleep till mamma came 
home again. I wish I'd never been born! " 

"Don't talk so, my dear child; yon must take yonr 
share of the trials of the world jnst as the rest of us have 
to. As for my tronble, yon needn't think of it for a 
moment. I'll try again, and we'll hope for better luck 
next time. And I'll tell your father all about it. He 
won't reproach you when he understands that it was only 
because you wanted to do so well that you got into 
trouble. Now let us go over and see what is the pros- 
pect for breakfast." 



92 dora's housekeeping. 

u Oh, thank you, Aunt Jane! You're always so kind. 
But please don't say anything about it before Amy, or 
she'll tell the children and I shall never hear the last of 

u » 

Mrs. King promised to be wary, and both went in to 
make an inspection of the larder. As Sophie had said, 
there was a nice dish of potatoes left from dinner, cut 
up, ready to heat over, and an abundance of good, light 
bread. 

" If you have any dried beef, that makes a nice dish 
for breakfast at short notice," said Aunt Jane. "I'll 
give you the recipe." 

Frizzled Beef. 
Shave dried beef as thin as possible; stew ten minutes 
in just enough water to cover it, then drain off the water 
and add a tablespoonful of butter, rubbed with a tea- 
spoonful flour; also two eggs beaten very light, a little 
pepper, and half a cup of milk. Stir all together over the 
fire for two minutes, and serve in a covered dish that it 
may be hot. It is nicer with toast under it. 

" Now, do you go to bed, Dora," said her Aunt, " and 
I'll tell your father all about it, and about calling you in 



TOO GOOD TO LAST. 93 

the morning. You musn't feel too badly about your ex- 
periences; I assure you, many people have much worse 
ones — with dishonest servants, for instance, who give 
away your provisions, or run off with silver and money ! 
Just go on bravely and do your best, and it will all come 
out right in the end." 

The next day being Friday, Dora was able to spend 
her afternoon in the kitchen without being troubled by 
the thought of lessons, and Mrs. King arranged a simple 
bill of fare within the compass of her powers as cook. 

Mutton Chops. 

Trim off all superfluous fat and skin, and broil on a 
gridiron over a clear fire. Add a very little pepper and 
salt while cooking, and butter them after placing them 
on a hot dish. 

Chops may also be fried in a little butter or sweet pork 
fat, seasoned with pepper and salt. When done, lay dry 
on a dish and add a little browned flour and hot water to 
the gravy over the fire; when this is thickened, pour it 
over the chops. 

Baked Tomatoes. 
Take off the skins after laying in boiling water; slice 



94: dora's housekeeping. 

about a quarter of an inch thick and place in layers in a 
baking dish, seasoning each layer with pepper, salt, and 
a dust of white sugar. Bake covered for a half an hour, 
then remove the cover and brown for fifteen minutes. 
Five minutes before taking from the oven, pour over the 
top three tablespoonsful of cream, whipped up with a 
little melted butter. If you have no cream, add little 
bits of butter to the dressing between the layers. 

A variation on this may be made by alternating layers 
of bread-crumbs with the tomatoes. Another is to grate 
an onion in among the layers. 

Cucumbers. 
Always lay cucumbers in cold water for an hour after 
being pared ; it removes much of their unwholesomeness. 
Then slice extremely thin and season with pepper, salt 
and vinegar, some time before bringing them to table. 
Some persons like sweet-oil with them, but unless you 
know the tastes of all the guests, it is safer to leave this 
to be added at the table. To serve, lay small lumps of ice 
over them, which should be done at the last moment, so 
as not to weaken the vinegar. 

Brown Betty. 
One cup bread-crumbs, two cups tart apples, chopped 



TOO &OOD TO LAST. 95 

fine; half a cup sugar, two tablespoonsful butter cut into 
small bits, one teaspoonful ground cinnamon. Butter a 
deep dish, put a layer of apples at the bottom, sprinkle 
with sugar, bits of butter and cinnamon, then bread- 
crumbs, then apples again, and so on until the dish is 
full, leaving a layer of bread-crumbs at the top. Cover 
closely and steam three-quarters of an hour in a moder- 
ate oven, then uncover and brown quickly. Eat with 
sweet liquid sauce. 

" If you don't want to use Sophy's sauce again so soon," 
said Mrs. King, " you will find some recipes in Amy's book. 
Lemon sauce and fruit-pudding sauce are both nice." 

In the afternoon Mrs. Grant announced that a cook had 
been found and would come in the evening. " I must 
confess that she doesn't look very promising," said she; 
" but she is said to be perfectly honest, and I see she has 
two hands and two feet; so she must be better than noth- 
ing." 

About nine in the evening the person mentioned, 
Honor by name, made her appearance. " So its you 
that's the misthriss, is it? " she inquired as Dora took her 
into the kitchen, and added " I should think jez had time 
to have got the dinner dishes washed up by this time." 



96 dora's housekeeping. 

Dora had determined that if she were left again with- 
out a girl it should not be her fault, and she answered 
quietly. 

" I had the clothes to mend this evening, and I've 
washed the glass and silver and the dessert-plates, but if 
you would rather leave these till to-morrow, you can; we 
shan't need any of them for breakfast." 

" No, I'd ruther finish up my day's work while I'm 
about it; " and without further ado, Honor dashed plates, 
dishes and knives into the pan until it was piled full, put 
a lump of soap on the top and proceeded to cover the 
whole with water. But this was too much for Dora's 
philosophy, and she hastily interposed. 

u We never put our knife-handles into hot water; it 
turns them yellow and makes them loose. Just let me 
take out the knives first, and you can wash them after- 
wards." 

"Well, I expect I've washed more knives than you 
ever saw, and I never had any trouble with havin' the 
handles come off ! But some folks is full o' notions." 

"We have some cold potatoes to warm, up for break- 
fast," said Dora, after the dishwashing operation was 
finished, she having in the mean time prudently set the 



TOO GOOD TO LAST, 97 

table for tlie next morning; " and some veal cutlets. I'll 
show you where to find every thing you'll need, and then 
I suppose you would like to go to bed." 

""What a bother it is to have to grind yer coffee," 
observed the new " help," as she always called herself in 
conversation. " Where I lived they always bought it 
riddy ground." 

" Mamma thinks it is nicer this way," answered Dora, 
resolved not to take offense. " And papa has boiled milk 
with it, because we have very little cream." 

Seeing a moment when the cook's back was turned, 
she carried off the lamp-waiter and set it in the lock-up 
closet in the dining-room, thinking that this would be 
just the woman to light her fire with kerosene. Having 
given all necessary information, she retired in a some- 
what perturbed state of mind, much relieved, however, 
at the thought that she would not have to get up and 
cook breakfast. 

Her anxiety was not lessened when she came down the 
next morning, at half-past seven, the time which she had 
told Honor was the breakfast hour, and saw no signs of 
anything cooking on the stove, except the coffee, which 
was boiling furiously. 
7 



98 dora's housekeeping. 

" It is time for breakfast," she said, after a polite 
" good morning " to the cook. " Isn't it ready? " 

"No; there isn't nothing on yet," remarked Honor, 
with the utmost coolness. 

" But didn't you understand that half-past seven was 
the hour?" inquired Dora, looking at the clock. " Papa 
is very punctual, and he always expects to have breakfast 
ready to put on the table as soon as he comes down." 

" It ain't goin' to take long," answered Honor, as she 
brought out the cutlets and put them on to fry, and then 
returned to the pantry for the potatoes, which, to Dora's 
horror, were not even cut up. " I'll get these ready," she 
exclaimed, " while you put on the milk to boil, so that we 
can get on faster. I expect papa down every minute, and 
he wont like it at all if he has to wait for his breakfast." 

"An' what wad yez be wantin' biled milk for?" 

"For the coffee; don't you remember? I told you." 

" Well, I've lived in a good many families, an' I niver 
seed one before where they biled the milk afore they'd 
put it into the coffee. Sure the coffee's bilin' enough, 
itself." 

" We always have it so," said Dora, not thinking it 
worth while to enter into an argument on the subject. 



TOO GOOD TO LAST. 99 

" Now these potatoes are cut uj), if you'll set on a frying 
pan and some lard, I'll put them over directly." 

Honor did as she was desired to, and Dora went into 
the dining-room for the coffee-pot. When she returned, 
the potatoes were already over the stove, the lump of 
unmelted lard sticking up in the middle, and the outer 
edges of the frying pan quite cold. 

" Oh, Honor, the potatoes oughtn't to have gone in un- 
til the lard was hot! They won't be nice at all, that way." 

" Sure an' I thought it was in a hurry for breakfast yez 
wuz? It can't make no differ what time they're put in, 
so long's they're cooked." 

It was useless to remonstrate, and Dora contented her- 
self with giving what assistance she could, until the meal 
was placed upon the table. As she poured out her father's 
coffee, her heart sank within her. Thick, muddy stuff, 
diluted with lukewarm milk, and without any of the deli- 
cate aroma belonging to the beverage, was all she had to 
offer him. 

" I can't give you any of this cutlet, children," said 
Mr. Greenwood as he cut off a piece which, though brown 
almost to burning on the upper side, was white on the 
under, and absolutely raw in the middle. " Nothing so 

LofC. 



100 dora's housekeeping. 

unwholesome as underdone veal. Dora, these had better 
be cooked over for lunch. They're uneatable in their 
present state." 

It required a great deal of self-control in Mr. Green- 
wood to suppress certain satirical remarks which rose to 
his lips at the sight and taste of the greasy, half-cold 
potatoes and wretched coffee; but he remembered the 
promise he had made to Mrs. King, and held his tongue. 
Accustomed to meals in which the incessant and watch- 
ful care of his wife had supplied every deficiency in the 
skill of her cooks, he was unprepared for such a revelation 
as this, and more disposed, in his own mind, to blame his 
unlucky daughter than if he had had any previous ex- 
perience of such management. Dora stole up to him as 
he was leaving the room and whispered: 

u It shan't be so to-morrow morning, Papa." 

u I should hope not," he replied, for he was still hungry, 
and consequently cross. " If it is, I think I shall have 
to take my meals at the hotel." 

Dora retired into the pantry, out of the reach of the 
children's eyes, and indulged herself in a soul-refreshing 
crying-spell. "When it was over she felt quite light- 
hearted, and set about her day's work with a resolute spirit. 



OHAPTEE VI. 

honor's way. 

Our young housekeeper had not proceeded far in her 
morning duties when Mrs. Grant came in to ask how 
matters were going. Dora's eyes would run over a little 
as she was describing the scenes in kitchen and dining- 
room, but she laughed at the same time in spite of her- 
self at the funny side of the dismal failure. 

" Horrid! " exclaimed sympathising Cousin Helen, with 
great emphasis. " What do such creatures dare to offer 
themselves as cooks for? Well, there isn't one chance 
in a hundred of your finding another before next week, 
so you must just make the best of it, and see to things 
beifig done, yourself." 

"I was so afraid of offending her, and having her 
flounce out of the house," said Dora, " that I didn't offer 
to show her how to do anything. She always said she 
4 knew all about it,' to everything 1 mentioned, so I left 
it for her to do her own way." 



102 dora's housekeeping. 

"And now that you've found out what a very bad way 
her own is," answered Cousin Helen, " you needn't leave 
her to it any longer, but just take hold of things your- 
self and have them done properly. Ko fear of driving 
her away! She'll stick to you like a burr as long as 
there's anything left to break in the house." 

This last remark was occasioned by the sound of crock- 
ery dashed together in a way that betokened no good to 
Mr. Greenwood's pocket. 

" Crash, dash! There go at least two cracks and three 
nicks! Oh, don't I know the sound! You won't have a 
piece of china left by Christmas, at this rate. Let's go 
into the creature's den and see if our presence wont mod- 
ify the action of her arms. What are you going to have 
for dinner?" 

" Papa is to send home a piece of corned beef and 
some vegetables. And, oh! I wish you'd tell me how to 
do fried hominy, such as we had last Sunday. Papa 
liked it just as well as the mush, and all the rest of us 
thought it was so much nicer." 

" Certainly I will. "What's become of the soup-stock 
Sophy made the other day?" 

" I never thought of it, and we ought to have had it 
yesterday! I'm afraid it's all spoiled by this time." 



103 

Thanks to Sophy's care in setting it in a cool place, 
the soup was still sweet; the meat from it neatly cut up 
and set into the ice-box, and the cake of grease from the 
top put in its proper place. Dora thought she would 
make a " Julienne " from it, as she had succeeded so well 
in that the week before, and Cousin Helen advised her 
to throw in all the left-over vegetables which were set 
away in the pantry — tomatoes, beans, and potatoes, in 
addition to those named in the recipe. " Make a real 
fotage of it," said she, " thick and good. It isn't a 
company soup made that way, but the family will like it. 
Soup isn't exactly the thing you would choose to go with 
corned beef, unless you had it every day — but no mat- 
ter. Nobody here will notice, and it will make another 
dish. But be sure you see to it yourself. Don't trust 
any thing to that spoiler of good things. There come 
the vegetables; let's go and see what they are. Cabbage 
and carrots — bah! However, there's a recipe called 
Ladies' Cabbage that's quite tolerable, and you wouldn't 
believe how good carrots were till you tried them done in 
mother's fashion. I'll write down the directions for you." 

Coened Beef. 
Put over the fire in cold water, and before the water 



104 doea's housekeeping. 

comes to a boil pour it off and substitute fresh boiling 
water. Allow about twenty minutes to a pound from 
the time the boiling water is poured on. Turn two or 
three times while boiling, and keep closely covered. 
When done, drain ^ery dry and serve with drawn butter 
sauce. 

Boiled Cabbage. 

Pick off the outer leaves, cut into quarters, and examine 
well to see that there are no insects in it; plunge into 
boiling water and boil fifteen minutes; then throw away 
the water and fill up with more, also boiling, from the 
tea-kettle. Be sure to cook it thoroughly, or it will be 
uneatable. Time, from one to two hours. "When per- 
fectly tender, drain well, chop in convenient lengths, and 
stir in pepper and salt to taste, and a tablespoonful of 
butter. 

For Ladies' Cabbage you should begin half an hour 
earlier, and allow it to cool after boiling; chop well, then 
add, besides the above seasoning, two beaten eggs and 
three tablespoonfuls of rich milk or cream; after which, 
stir all together and bake in a buttered pudding dish 
until brown. Serve very hot. 



105 

Carrots in Cups. 

Wash and scrape well, and lay in cold water half an 
hour; then boil until tender in salted water. When soft, 
chop fine and mix with them a little cream or milk, with 
butter, pepper and salt to taste; then press into common 
kitchen cups, which must be first heated in the oven; 
turn out on a flat dish and serve. 

Stewed carrots are similarly prepared, except that they 
need not be chopped, but merely cut small, after which a 
cup of drawn butter is poured over them, with pepper 
and salt, and the whole simmered well together. 

Hominy for Frying. 
Soak over night and put on to boil with more than 
twice as much water as hominy; salt the water and boil 
slowly for three hours, or until it is perfectly soft; then 
stir in a small lump of butter, and allow it to become 
cold. For frying it should be packed smooth in an oval 
dish, and cut in even slices. Fry in lard or drippings. 

" What are drippings, Cousin Helen ? " asked Dora at 
this stage of the writing. 

" Dripping is the fat of meat extracted by the process 
of boiling or roasting. When first made it is apt to con- 



106 dora's housekeeping. 

tain some impurities which can be removed by what is 
called clarifying — that is, being heated in boiling water 
and thoroughly stirred until the sediment sinks to the 
bottom; the pure fat will then rise to the top and become 
a ' cake ' when cool. Almost every kind of fat saved in 
this way can be used, except mutton. But you must 
have a dessert of some kind." 

" Papa likes Indian meal puddings very well. And I 
wish I could make some cake. The children were com- 
plaining to-day that they had forgotten how cake looked 
since Annie went away. Oh, dear! how long it seems, 
and it isn't a week yet! " 

" Never mind, shorter weeks are coming, and think how 
much you are learning all the time! " 

" At other people's expense," suggested Dora. 

" Not at all; don't you see how much worse off they 
would have been if they hadn't had you, but had been 
groaning under these changes with nobody to take hold?" 

" That is true," answered Dora. 

" As to cake, there's a very simple one in ' Common 
Sense ' that we make great use of at home." 

Sister Mag's Cake. 
Two and a half cups powdered sugar; three-quarters 



honor's way. 107 

of a cup butter; one cup of milk, three of flour, four 
eggs, one lemon, juice and grated rind, one small tea- 
spoonful soda. Bake in a square or oblong tin, and 
frost with whites of two eggs beaten stiff with powdered 
sugar. 

"You can leave out the icing to-day," said Mrs. Grant, 
" and learn how to make it when you have more time." 

Baked Indian Pudding. 
Take one quart of milk, dip out a teacupful and scald 
the rest, stir five tablespoon fuls of sifted meal into the 
boiling milk, add an even teaspoonful of salt, a little 
grated nutmeg, a tablespoonful of ginger and two 
of sugar, half a cup of molasses, and lastly the cup of 
cold milk. Bake two hours. To be eaten with butter. 

Dora quietly followed out her day's plan of operations, 
though not without much opposition from her hand- 
maid, who made scornful remarks on what did not fall 
in with her own notions, and resented any attempt at 
direction on the part of the young house-keeper. How- 
ever, the dinner was prepared without any serious mis- 
takes, by dint of Dora's perseverance, though she was 



108 

constantly hampered by Honor's setting pots and kettles 
off the stove in her absence, remarking that they had 
" biled long enough." 

She was not therefore, surprised on returning from the 
dining-room, where she had been setting the dinner-table, 
to notice that her pot of soup had disappeared. Upon 
investigation it was found in a corner, a mere mass of 
vegetables. 

"What have you done with the soup, Honor?" she 
asked. 

"Sure it's there in the kettle; them things is all 
biled to rags by this time." 

" But the soup itself; the liquor? " 

" Is it the wather they was biled in, ye mane? Och! it's 
meself as throwed it into the swill-pail. What would 
yez be wantin' the wather for?" 

To say that Dora was struck dumb would be scarcely 
a figure of speech. But she was quick-witted, and after 
standing transfixed for a moment, she made a dive into 
the cellar and brought up the soup-meat which had been 
destined for hash. This she cut from the bones in 
moderate-sized pieces, and heated hastly in a saucepan 
with a little boiling water, butter, salt, and a teaspoonful 



WAY. 109 

of Worcestershire sauce; when it was hot she turned it 
into the soup-kettle, which, fortunately, Honor's habits 
had not prompted her to drain, brought it to a boil, and 
served the whole in the form of a stew. This was the 
more seasonable, as the frequent removals of the corned 
beef during Dora's absences from the kitchen made it 
doubtful whether it was thoroughly done. 

" This is a capital stew," said Mr. Greenwood, after 
tasting his own helping. " There seems to be one thing 
this woman knows how to make. You'd better get her 
to give you the receipt, Dora." 

"Yes, sir," replied Dora, turning very red; but she 
kept her own counsel, for the time at least, and said noth- 
ing further. She and her cousin had a merry time over 
it in the evening, and Mrs. Grant laughed till the tears 
ran down her cheeks at the idea of Dora's blank looks 
when the truth dawned upon her. 

"And then the sweeping, Cousin Helen! You never 
saw such a farce. I could actually see the tracks where 
the broom had gone, and the lines of dust between ! And 
behind the sofas and under the beds and bureaux and in 
the corners of the stairs, such heaps! I didn't say any- 
thing about it, for she seems to be one of the people you 
can't teach." 



110 dora's housekeeping. 

" M"o, it's just as well to let it all go and keep on the 
look-out for some one else. "What meat are yon going 
to have for dinner to-morrow?" 

" The corned beef, and it can just as well be hot, for 
half an hour's more boiling wouldn't hurt it." 

" Leave it soaking in the water, then, if that hasn't 
been thrown away by your Hebe. It will make it all the 
more tender. Then put it on to-morrow in some fresh 
boiling water, about half an hour before dinner. What 
vegetables?" 

" Beets and butter-beans." 

" Do the beans just as you did the Limas. Plain, boiled 
potatoes are best with corned beef, because the drawn- 
butter sauce goes so nicely with them. Have you made 
any dessert? " 

" Yes, I found a recipe in Amy's book that looked 
easy— Corn-starch Blanc-mange — and I made it, and it 
seems very good. Ought there to be any sauce with it?" 

"Nothing but sweetened milk or cream, with a little 
nutmeg grated into it. And then if you want it very 
nice — for instance, if you should have company come in 
— any kind of preserve is good to eat with it. I suppose 
your mother made most of her preserves." 



Ill 

"All but pears and quinces, and Annie was to make 
them." 

"Perhaps you'll get a cook that knows how; if not, 
you and I will do it up some Saturday. What do you 
have for tea on Sundays? " 

" I believe generally bread and butter, and preserves 
and cake." 

" Tou might vary it to-morrow by some nice buttered 
toast and a dish of baked apples. Tou know how to do 
the toast — cut the slices even, make it quickly and but- 
ter it on both sides as fast as it is toasted, then cover it 
until the whole is made. If the edges should happen to 
get a little scorched, you must scrape off the burnt part, 
but it is a great deal better not to let any burn. It is 
never quite as nice." 

" How long ought the apples to bake? " 

" That depends entirely on their quality, but as they are 
eaten cold you can do them at any time. Have them put 
into the oven when you sit down to breakfast; take out 
the cores and fill the holes with sugar if the apples are 
tart; if they are sweet just stick them into the oven in a 
pan and be sure they don't burn; don't pare them, of 
course. I don't suppose you know how to make fish-balls." 



112 doea's housekeeping. 

" Yes, I found out to-day. You soak tlie fish several 
hours in warm water, then wash off the salt and boil it 
three-quarters of an hour, changing the water once if you 
don't like them very salt. When it is cold you pick it up 
fine, and then take half and half mashed potatoes and 
codfish with a lump of butter and a little milk, and work 
them all through and through together. Then you make 
it into cakes and fry it." 

"Precisely; and if you want it nicer, you can stir in 
a beaten egg with the rest; and do be careful to get 
out all the skin and bones and stuff that poor cooks are 
sure to leave in. The same with the corned beef that you 
made hash of for Monday. Don't leave in one particle 
of fat or gristle. You'll find all the directions in Amy's 
book." 

" I suppose we may as well settle about Monday din- 
ner." 

" There will be enough corned beef left, probably, for 
you are not great meat-eaters ; if you had had it for din- 
ner to-day, I should advise you to get some chops or 
steak, for you don't want the same dish three days in 
succession, but twice won't do any harm ; and if it should 
give out you can send for the other. As you will want 



honor's way. 113 

to know how to cook a cutlet yourself next time, here 
are the directions:" 

Teal Cutlets. 

Sprinkle them with pepper and salt, dip in beaten egg, 
then roll in cracker-crumbs and fry slowly in hot drip- 
pings or lard. When the meat is dished, leave the gravy 
in the frying-pan, and add a little boiling water and 
browned flour to it; boil up once and serve. Veal must 
always be very thoroughly cooked, this being much more 
important than with beef or mutton. 

For some tastes, the juice of half a lemon, mixed with 
the gravy, is an improvement; and slices of lemon round 
the edge of the dish, as a garnish, are always in order. 
Another way, is to cut a lemon in two crosswise and 
have it passed round the table on a small plate or saucer, 
that each person may squeeze a little juice over the meat 
for himself. 

"I'll tell you another breakfast-dish which you oan 
have sometimes, for a variety." 

Eggs a l' Italienke. 
Boil the eggs fifteen minutes; while they are cooling, 

a 



114 DORA'S HOUSEKEEPING. 

stir butter and flour together in a stew-pan to a thick 
batter; thin this with boiling milk, and season with pep- 
per and salt and chopped parsley; if not rich enough, 
add more butter; slice the eggs into the sauce and serve 
hot. 

"Here is another delicious dish, for some day when 
you have plenty of time." 

Corn Oysters. 
Grate green corn, and to every pint add two well beaten 
eggs, a tablespoonful of butter, and flour enough to make 
into flat cakes; season with pepper and salt, and brown 
on a griddle. They are more delicate with less flour, so 
that they form a batter and are dropped on the griddle 
from a spoon. 

" You'll find it convenient on washing day to do what- 
ever you can in the oven, especially with a creature like 
this one you have in the kitchen, who will probably have 
her boiler on all day long. Baked potatoes, baked to- 
matoes and cold slaw go w^ell together. For dessert you 
ought to have something made on Saturday; but I sup- 
pose you didn't think of that." 

"Yes, I did, though; Honor made two peach pies. 
They look dreadful, but they're pies." 



honor's way. 115 

"Provident little person! The family will have to ac- 
cept them, good, bad or indifferent. By the way, I want 
to give yon a few new breakfast recipes, now while I 
think of it, that I have only lately met with. They are 
simple enough for you to undertake by yourself, at any 
time." 

Teal Hash. 
Mix together one cup cold minced veal, half a cup 
seasoned gravy or soup-stock, a quarter of a cup cream, 
one small tablespoonful butter or dripping, one do. flour. 
Stir well while stewing; line the dish it is served in with 
sippets of toasted bread, and just before serving garnish 
with slices of lemon or pickle. 

" I think veal always needs a little acid in some form," 
said Mrs. Grant, " either lemon or vinegar. If you have 
no cream you must be content with milk, adding a little 
more butter." 

Chicken or Turkey Hash. 
To one cupful minced meat add half a cup milk, two 
tablespoonfuls butter or dripping, one slice of onion 
minced fine, salt and pepper to taste, with a trifle of 



116 DOKl's HOUSEKEEPING. 

powdered mace. Stir well wliile stewing and serve like 
veal hash, with a garnish of parsley. 

Mutton Hash. 
Take one cup minced mutton, free from fat; a slice of 
onion and a small half-cup pickle, both chopped fine; two 
tablespoons melted beef dripping, two cups bread crumbs; 
mix all together except the crumbs, put into a baking 
dish a layer of these half an inch thick and a layer of the 
mixture alternately, finishing with crumbs; pour over 
the whole two cups broth or gravy and bake ten minutes. 
Serve in the dish it was cooked in. If any is left, moisten 
it with beaten egg and a little dripping, add catsup, roll 
into croquettes and fry to a light brown. 

Minced Codfish. 
Take one cupful of cream or milk and heat it until boil- 
ing, with half a cup butter or drippings, a sprig of pars- 
ley and two slices of finely chopped onion. Stir into this 
one cup of minced codfish and half a cup of bread 
crumbs; add pepper to taste, and salt if the codfish has 
been freshened enough to need it. Boil until as thick as 
soft porridge, and serve very hot. 

" Now that's enough for to-night," said Cousin Helen, 
" so go along to your lessons." 



OHAPTEK VII. 

A LADY HELP. 

" I heard you was lookin' for a young lady to do your 
kitchen work." 

The speaker was a young girl of about eighteen, with 
long, dangling ear-rings, a very much flounced pink 
calico dress, and, in compliment to the weather, which 
had turned suddenly cool, a large blanket shawl. A very 
small bonnet was perched on the back of a large mass of 
false hair, the whole suggesting by its shape and the 
angle at which it was set, the smoke-pipe of a tug- 
steamer turned back to pass under one of the Chicago 
bridges; and this, with a pair of cotton gloves through 
the ends of which her fingers protruded, completed her 
costume, or at least, as much of it as could be seen, as 
the shoes were almost hidden by the skirt of a very long 
dress. 

" Yes, we've been looking for a girl," answered Dora. 
" Did you want to get a place? " 



118 dora's housekeeping. 

"Well, I didn't know but I'd live out a spell," 
answered the " young lady." " I've been to hum all 
summer now, and I've got kind o' tired of it." 

"Have you ever lived out?" inquired the house- 
keeper. 

" Oh, yes, lots o' times. I most always live out some, 
every year. What wages do you give? " 

Dora named the customary price, to which her visitor 
made no objection, but proceeded to question the candi- 
date for her favor further on the domestic question. 

" How many have you in family? " 

" Six, at present," replied Dora, and then thinking that 
it would not be amiss if she took some share in the inter- 
rogation, she added, " What kind of work have you been 
used to?" 

"Oh, all sorts; you don't keep no hired man, do ye?" 

" No; can you make good bread? " 

" I should hope so; if I couldn't I expect I shouldn't 
undertake to live out. Any of the children small?" 

" The youngest is seven years old. Do you live near 
here?" 

"Two miles and a half out in the country, on the 
Smith- town road. I always go home Saturday night and 
stay over Sunday. I s'pose you would'nt object to that? " 



A LADY HELP. 119 

Dora thought she should object very much; but on a 
rapid review of the situation, thought it prudent not to 
contest the subject too far. 

" It wouldn't be at all convenient," said she; " couldn't 
you make out with going on Sunday after you had got 
the dinner ready?" 

" Couldn't, no how; our folks always comes in with the 
wagon Saturday afternoons, and I haint no way o' get- 
tin' out Sundays." 

"Then how do you get back here?" 

" Oh, one o' the boys he jest hitches up, an' brings me 
Sunday evening afore bed-time, 'cause I like to get at my 
washin' good an' early." 

This sounded promising, and as Dora thought that any 
change would be for the better, she made the agreement 
with the new maid, who, however, positively refused to 
come before the next Sunday evening, as she had some 
dresses she wanted to " fix up." 

It would be tedious to go through the culinary miseries 
of the rest of that week, which were prodigious, in spite 
of Dora's most earnest efforts. We must content our- 
selves with copying a few of Aunt Jane's recipes, which 
she took down, some for present and some for future 



120 dora's housekeeping. 

rise, according to circumstances. First came various 
breakfast dishes. 

Calf's Liver. 
Slice tlie liver quite thin, wash it and let it soak in salt 
and water for half an hour; wash it again in fresh water 
and fry in lard until brown; season with pepper and a 
little more salt. This is the simplest form of cooking 
liver; a gravy may be made by taking out the slices and 
mixing with the fat they were fried in a little browned 
flour, boiling water and the juice of a lemon. It is also 
common to fry thin bits of salt pork and serve with the 
liver. 

Liver Hash. 
"Wash and soak as above, then boil until tender; chop 
fine and heat in a sauce-pan with butter, browned flour, 
pepper and salt to taste. A teaspoonful of tomato catsup 
or Worcestershire sauce improves this dish. 

Pork Steaks, or Tenderloins. 
Take off the skin, trim neatly and broil over a clear 
fire; have ready on a hot platter a tablespoonful of butter 
rubbed with an even teaspoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of 



A LADY HELP. 121 

pepper, the same of powdered sage, and a teaspoonful of 
grated onion; press the steaks into this as yon do beef 
steak; tnrn several times in the gravy, cover closely and 
set in the oven, or some warm place, for five minutes be- 
fore serving. If yonr family do not like sage or onions, 
these flavorings may be omitted. 

" Suppose you have company and don't know what 
they like, Aunt Jane? " said Dora when she had read 
thus far. 

" Then the simplest form is always safest. Every body 
likes butter and pepper and salt, though as to seasoning 
you must remember that it may be easily added but never 
taken away; so be sure to remain on the safe side. A 
good rule is always to put in seasoning gradually; taste 
it after you have put in a part, and then some time after, 
when the taste is out of your mouth, add some more. 

Pork Chops ok Cutlets. 
These may be dipped in beaten egg after the skin is 
removed, and then in bread crumbs seasoned with salt 
and pepper. Pork must be cooked very slowly and 
thoroughly, like veal; half an hour will not be too much 
over a moderate fire. If the fire is very hot set the pan 



122 doea'q housekeeping. 

on top of the stove. Apple-sauce is the proper accom- 
paniment of any form of fried or roast pork, and though 
not usually served at breakfast, is relished as a variety. 

"How do you make apple sauce, Aunt Jane?" 
" Pare and core the apples and cut them into small 
pieces, then stew slowly with the least possible quantity 
of water — just enough to keep them from burning. 
When they are nearly done, sweeten them with coffee- 
sugar, using rather less when they are to be eaten with 
meat than if they are for tea or lunch. Always take tart 
apples for sauce, and sweet apples, if you can get them, 
for baking. Never pare or core sweet baking-apples." 
"Can't you tell me some more breakfast-dishes?" 
" There are several nice recipes iu Amy's book — for 
eggs, hashes and so on, also for various kinds of muffins 
and corn-bread; buckwheat-cakes and others that have to 
be sent in (hot and hot) you can't have until you get a 
cook who can produce things that are neither raw nor 
burnt. As we sometimes get fresh fish here you ought 
to know how to cook that for breakfast." 

Bboiled Fish. 
The manner of cooking any small fresh fish is the same. 



A LADY HELP. 123 

Clean thoroughly, wash and wipe, then split, rub in salt 
and pepper, and lay on a well-buttered gridiron, the 
inside down; when that is done, turn on the other side. 
Lay on a hot dish and spread a little butter carefully over 
the top. 

Codfish and Potato Stew. 
Prepare the fish as for fish-balls; add the same quantity 
of boiled potatoes, cut small as for frying, a lump of 
butter and a little milk; turn and toss constantly until 
it is near boiling; then add pepper and chopped parsley, 
and serve. 

Codfish for Dinner. 
Take one quart of picked-up codfish, soaked overnight, 
and one pint of bread-crumbs; place these in layers in 
a baking-dish, sprinkling each with pepper, and over the 
top layer, which must be of crumbs, spread a quarter of 
a pound of softened butter, and pour over the whole half 
a pint of rich milk, or, what is still better, of cream. 
Bake half an hour. 

" Cold roast beef or mutton may always be warmed 
over," said Mrs. King, " if you choose to use it up in 



124 dora's housekeeping. 

that way, by cutting it into thin slices and heating it in 
a gravy formed of flour and butter rubbed together and 
stirred into boiling water, with salt and pepper. As 
seasoning, a teaspoonful of Ohili or "Worcestershire sauce, 
or a tablespoonful of tomato catsup, or the remains of a 
tumbler of currant jelly will always come in well. I 
can't give you the exact amount of each, for it is entirely 
a matter of judgment, and depends on the quantity of 
meat you have. Tou must do them as a celebrated 
painter told an inquiring novice he must mix his colors: 
" "With brains, sir! " 

" I think brains are useful in most things you try to 
do," observed Dora. 

" Yes, they're not out of place anywhere, but for regu- 
lar, unvarying success in cooking, they're indispensable. 
A cook may sometimes make good things without them, 
just by chance; but you can't depend on her. Do you 
ever use bacon as a breakfast-dish?" 

u I don't remember; I think not." 

" If it is well-cooked it is very nice; I prefer it to ham 
myself. Be sure when you buy it that it is sweet and 
not at all ' rusty;' you can tell that by the smell; take 
off the skin, cat it into very thin slices and broil on the 



A LADY HELP. 125 

gridiron. Don't have it set on table until the family 
come down, for it must be hot. Maitre d' hotel potatoes 
are nice with it, and any dish of eggs. "When your 
breakfast is not especially good, a plate of buttered toast 
or a dish of milk-toast helps it out. I must give you the 
recipe of a very favorite breakfast-dish at our house." 

Stewed Kidneys. 
Wash the kidneys thoroughly and cut them in even- 
feized mouthfuls ; melt a tablespoonful of butter in a fry- 
ing-pan, and cook them in it until nicely browned, adding 
pepper and salt to taste; when nearly done, add a dessert 
spoonful of flour, some kind of flavoring sauce, and a few 
spoonfuls of beef or mutton gravy if you have it, and the 
juice of half a lemon; if not, a little boiling water to 
make a gravy. This does not require more than fifteen 
minutes' cooking. 

"What is the best flavoring sauce, Aunt Jane?" 
" Worcestershire is as good as any, though some peo- 
ple prefer Harvey or Chili; tomato or mushroom catsup 
makes a pleasant addition to almost any kind of stew, 
and if you haven't any of these, a spoonful of the liquid 
from piccalilli or chow-chow will do very well. Chopped 



126 dora's housekeeping. 

parsley is another favorite in the way of flavoring; 
lemon-juice is another, and now and then you may use a 
little dust of red pepper. Some people make everything 
taste of onion, which is very nice for an occasional flavor; 
but if you get in the habit of depending on it, all your 
cookery will taste alike, and may be disagreeable to your 
guests, not to speak of its making yourselves unpleasant 
company to people who havn't been eating any thing 
oniony." 

Bread Crumb Omelette. 
Take one pint of bread crumbs, a handful of chopped 
parsley, a slice of onion minced fine, and a teaspoonful 
of dried sweet marjoram. Mix well together; beat up 
two eggs, adding to them a teaspoonful of milk, a piece 
of butter as large as an egg, with pepper and salt to 
taste, and stir in the other ingredients. Bake in a well- 
buttered shallow pan in a slow oven, till the omelet is of 
a light brown color, then turn it out on a dish and serve 
hot. 

Potatoes a la Bourgeoise. 
Mince one slice of onion very fine and fry it in a 
spoonful of butter, mixed with an equal quantity of lard 



A LADY HELP. 127 

or drippings. Stir in slowly the same quantity of flour, 
and when mixed add as much gravy or water as will be 
required to moisten the potatoes. Let it come to a boil, 
then add salt and pepper to taste, some chopped parsley 
and a little lemon juice; stir in cold boiled potatoes cut 
into lumps, stew five minutes and serve hot. 

Cold Fish Kechauffe. 
Heat half a cup butter or dripping boiling hot, stir 
in two slices onion, minced fine, one tablespoonful flour 
and a sprig of chopped parsley; after this, one cup gravy 
or broth, one cup cold stewed tomatoes, or chopped fresh 
ones, and last of all, two cups of sliced fish; add pepper 
and salt to taste; stew five minutes and serve. 

Sunday came at last, after Dora had begun to doubt 
whether there was such a day in the week. 

She cut down the bill of fare to the lowest possible 
point, — omelette and potatoes warmed over for breakfast 
instead of the more elaborate fish-balls and fried mush; 
cold meat for dinner with roast potatoes and cold slaw; 
preserves and crackers with a cup of chocolate for dessert, 
and baked apples, sardines and bread and butter for tea. 
But the inevitable dish-washing would recur just so 



128 dora's housekeeping. 

often; another school-day was coming on apace, and she 
felt happier than she would have liked to own when a 
loud ring at the door announced the arrival of the ex- 
pected " help." 

" Here I be," said the young lady, who was accom- 
panied, as Dora observed with secret satisfaction, by a 
large trunk; "I didn't know but you'd be gone to bed, 
but our folks had company to hum, and I couldn't get 
away no sooner, nohow. Got your clothes in to soak?" 

For a moment Dora was slightly puzzled, but as the 
meaning dawned upon her, she confessed to having 
neglected this part of her duty. Then remembering 
that she did not even know how to address this new in- 
mate of the family, she inquired her name. 

" My name's Sareeny ; what's yourn? " 

" My name is Dora Greenwood," answered the young 
mistress, with all the dignity she could command. " If 
your brother will carry your trunk up-stairs, I'll show 
you your room." 

"Dory — that's a real pretty name; I had a cousin by 
marriage once o' that name. I reckon my box is too 
heavy for one to heft; can't your pa help up with it?" 

As Dora did not think her father had ever been called 



A LADY HELP. 129 

upon to perform the office in question for one of his 
domestics, she hesitated to ask him, and -saying that he 
was engaged just then, inquired if Serena and her 
brother could not get it up between them. 

" Well, I think it had orter be a man's work," replied 
the new-comer; " I ain't used to liftin'. But mebby we 
can drag it up somehow." 

And dragged up it was, much to the detriment of the 
stair-carpet and wall, which bore traces of its passage for 
the rest of the winter. This important matter being set- 
tled, Serena proceeded to " ketch up " the clothes from 
the various rooms, remarking freely meanwhile, on the 
arrangement of the house, the furniture, the various ar- 
ticles of clothing as they passed under review, and the 
habits of the family generally, as exhibited by what was 
visible on this tour of inspection. 

"I never see folks wear sech clothes afore, and they're 
made so queer, too! Guess your ma was awful fussy, 
warn't she?" 

Dora did not relish hearing her mother's name made 
thus free with, and parried the question as well as she 
could. When she came to the culinary department, 
Serena found still more to criticise. 
9 



130 

" I never see sech a lot o' notions huddled together in 
one place! If- they was mine, I'd pitch 'em all out o' 
doors mighty quick. They jest clutter up the kitchen 
for nothin'." 

"Shall I show you about the things for breakfast?" 
inquired Dora, waiving the question of kitchen utensils. 

"It don't make no difference to me; I suppose you'll 
git jest what you gin'rally do when you hain't no one 
here but yourselves. I ain't pertikler." 

"But you must get breakfast yourself, Serena," said 
Dora, finally plucking up courage to make a stand. 
" There's no one else here to do it." 

" Why, what's the matter with you? " 

" Nothing is the matter with me, but when I am going 
to school I don't expect to do anything about the house 
on week days but dust the rooms and make my own bed. 
What time do you get through with your washing?" 

" It's a bad day when I don't git it out afore noon," 
replied the young woman with a toss of her head. " An' 
I never see a place before where they expected a hired 
gal to cook washing-day." 

" We expect it here and we can't get along without it," 
said Dora, making a bold venture, but prepared to give 



A LADY HELP. 131 

way if she found the enemy standing firm to her colors. 
" You can finish your washing a little later if it is neces- 
sary. 5 ' 

To her great relief, this produced nothing but some in- 
articulate grumbling, and the point was apparently con- 
ceded. 

Oh, the sweetness of the next morning's nap! To lie 
quietly in bed until half an hour before breakfast time, 
was bliss to poor tired Dora, who, however, took the pre- 
caution of going down a few minutes beforehaud to see 
that nothing important had been neglected. She had 
set the table herself the night before as soon as she 
removed the tea-things, so she went straight to the 
kitchen to look into the state of things there. To her 
dismay she saw the front of the stove occupied by the 
boiler, and nothing at the back but the coffee-pot and a 
sauce-pan of milk. 

"Why, Serena!" she exclaimed, "haven't you cooked 
the breakfast yet?" 

"Massy, yes, mor'n an hour ago! I thought you 
wasn't never comin' down! I've had mine a' ready, for 
I couldn't wait. Jest you look in the oven." 

In the oven it was — ham and eggs, fried potatoes 



132 dora's housekeeping. 

and a huge plate of griddle-cakes, — the latter an addi- 
tion of Serena's own. If her intention had been to des- 
iccate them all, she had succeeded admirably, but Dora 
was too thankful for small favors to hazard putting her 
out of humor by fault-finding. 

"You'd better take the coffee up now," she said. 
" Papa will be down directly." 

"Laws sakes! Any one'd think you hadn't never 
been in a kitchen afore in your life! " exclaimed Serena, 
with no very good grace, as she wiped her hands and arms 
furiously on the kitchen roller, and prepared to pour off 
the coffee into the silver coffee-pot Dora set before her. 
" Two coffee-pots for one breakfast! One 's good enough 
to suitm^/" 

u The coffee smells good enough to suit anybody," said 
Dora pleasantly. " How do you make it?" 

" I make it accordin' to the people that's to drink it. 
You want a good big heapin' tablespoonful for every one 
and then you pour out as much bilin' water onto it as 
they'll want cups; then you set it to settle on the back of 
the stove where it won't bile, an' you won't need no egg. 
It settles jest as good without it if you don't stir it up 
none. And mind you don't never let it bile. That spiles 
it* 



A LADY HELP. 133 

The coffee justified Serena's good opinion of it, and the 
rest of the breakfast, though nearly dried up, was eatable. 
The girl was in the main good-natured enough, though 
she hated to be directed, and had a slashing, hap-hazard 
style of doing everything that made it a little uncertain 
how her cookery was coming out; but the family had had 
so much worse luck in the past that they did not feel dis- 
posed to complain, and bore her occasional failures with 
great meekness. Now and then she would surprise them 
with a new dish which they found very good. 

" What are those?" asked Dora one day, pointing to a 
pile of round, flat balls. " Some kind of croquettes?" 

" Them's hasty pud'n, biled reel thick and then sot 
away till it 's cold. You make it into them cakes, and 
dip every one into flour all over afore you fry it, 'cause 
they won't brown good if you leave the meal outside. 
Then you eat 'em with molasses." 

" I'd like to know how you make hard ginger-bread, 
and those lovely rolls that we had for tea last night," 
said Dora, still pursuing her favorite theme. 

" You jest take about three-fourths o' a cup of shorten- 
in' an' mix it in with the same o' hot water an' a hull cup 
o' molasses an' another hull cup o' brown sugar, an' a 



134 d oka's housekeeping. 

teaspoon o' salt an' a tablespoon o' ginger, an 5 a little bit 
o' alum the bigness of a hazel-nut, melted np in the hot 
water; then you take a half a tablespoon o' sody an' mix 
it in with a big cup o' flour; stir 'em all together 'cept 
the flour an' sody, an' mix in enough plain flour to make 
it kind o' half stiff, then you stir in the flour with sody in, 
quick 's ever you can, an' when it aint quite stiff enough 
to roll out you put it into square pans an' smooth it all 
over afore you bake it." 

" That's for the ginger-bread ; now how about the rolls ? " 
"Them's more trouble. Tou take a quart o' water 
an' the same o' milk, an' a big spoonful o' butter an' 
two o' white sugar, an' a half a tablespoon o' salt; then 
you mix a quarter of a cake o' compressed yeast into it, 
and in two hours it had orter be a reel light sponge. 
Then you put in more flour an' knead it down dry, an' 
set it to rise again for mebbe an hour, 'cordin' as it looks ; 
then you roll it out an' cut it out with a tumbler an' bring 
the edges o' the cakes together in the middle an' put 'em 
in your pan an' set 'em to rise for another hour; an' if 
they haint light then they'd orter be." 

"Thank you," said Dora; "I should like very much 
to try them some day when I have time." 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

SHE MAKES PICKLES. 

" It's quite time for you to be thinking about your 
pickles," said Mrs. King one day to Dora, when the house- 
keeping had got into good running-order again. 

" There are ever so many jars left yet, Aunt Jane." 

"Of course there are cucumbers and beans and all 
those, but you want to put up tomatoes. Let's have a 
look at the store-room closet." 

A goodly row of jars presented itself, each one labelled 
with the date of making. There were gherkins, nastur- 
tiums, beans and radishes, and spiced currants, besides 
mangoes and butternuts from the previous year. " See, 
Aunt Jane," said Dora, pointing to the latter, "we shan't 
need any more of these. There are enough for a whole 
year." 

" If you were going to use them up this winter you 
would need to put up some more, unless you wanted your 
mother to go without them next year, for they are not fit 



136 

to be eaten for several months after they are made, and 
are better to stand a year. But you need not begin upon 
them at all; there are plenty without." 

"Won't you give me all the recipes, Aunt Jane? I 
want to have my book complete, and Mamma never uses 
any; she carries every thing in her head. And do tell 
me what ' gherkins ' are. I never saw any that I know 
of." 

" You have seen them oftener than any thing else, as 
they are the common cucumber, but the name is gener- 
ally applied only to the little ones, about the size of your 
finger. As those are the most important we will begin 
with them. People who have gardens gather them all 
through the summer as fast as they grow to the proper 
size; then they are packed in salt, a layer of cucumbers 
with salt to cover them completely, then another of 
cucumbers, and so on, always leaving a covering of salt 
on the top. When you buy your fruit, take as many as 
you will need and pack them down in salt all at once 
in stone jars. Then they make their own brine, and you 
get the full flavor of the cucumber instead of having it 
weakened with water. Leave them in this for several 
days, then take them out as dry as you can and cover with 



SHE MAKES PICKLES. 137 

lolling water; mind that — it must be boiling. Cover 
them and let them stand for twelve hours ; then pour over 
the spiced vinegar. Here is the receipt for that." 

Cucumber Pickles. 
One gallon best cider vinegar; one cup sugar, three 
dozen black-pepper grains, three dozen cloves, one and a 
half dozen allspice grains, one dozen blades mace, the 
dried peel of three oranges, and one ounce of white ginger, 
cut small. Tie the spices in a thin muslin bag and boil 
all together for five minutes, then pour over the pickles, 
bag and all. Of course the vinegar must completely 
cover the pickles. If tightly covered and kept in a cool 
dry place, this will be ready for use in two months. 

" Many housekeepers pour oif the vinegar at the end 
of two days," said Mrs. King, " scald it and pour it on 
again, and some repeat this process two or three times; 
but I have never found it necessary." 

"I think Mamma puts grape-vine leaves into her 
pickles," said Dora. 

"That is to make them green; I prefer them the nat- 
ural color, but I can tell you how to do it if you want to 
know." 



138 

To Green Pickles. 
When sufficiently soaked in the brine, lay the cucumber 
in a kettle lined with vine-leaves, scatter powdered alum 
over each layer, allowing a little less than one ounce to 
each gallon of vinegar, cover thickly with leaves and fill 
the kettle with cold water. Let them simmer in this for 
several hours, never allowing them to boil; when they 
are green enough to suit you, take them out and throw 
them into cold water for half an hour; then drain them 
well and pour on the boiling vinegar. 

" Tender string-beans and radish-pods just before they 
change color maybe done in the same pickle; nasturtiums 
require a simpler one. All you need do to them is to 
drop them into good vinegar as fast as they are picked." 

" "What are they for, Aunt Jane? " 

" To season drawn-butter sauce for mutton, instead of 
capers. They are almost as good, and very much cheaper. 
Here is another favorite." 

Bed Cabbage. 
Take off the outside leaves, quarter the cabbage, take 
out the stalk and then slice as fine as for coldslaw. Lay 
in a wooden bowl, sprinkle thickly with salt, cover closely 



SHE MAKES PICKLES. 139 

and set in the cellar over night. The next day, drain, 
wipe very dry and set in the sun for two hours ; then pack 
in a stone jar and pour on boiling spiced vinegar with the 
same proportions as for cucumbers, substituting for the 
orange-peel a teaspoonful of celery-seed to each quart of 
vinegar. 

Pickled Butternuts or Walnuts. 
Gather them when soft enough to be pierced by a pin, 
and lay in strong brine for five days, changing this twice 
in the mean time. Drain, and wipe with a coarse towel; 
pierce each one with a fine knitting-needle and lay in 
water for six hours, then pack in small jars and pour over 
them the same pickle as for cucumbers, boiling hot. Tie 
up tight and set away. 

" Remember that, with all your pickles," said Mrs. 
King. " They must invariably be tightly covered. For 
a stone jar a wooden cover is best, made to fit in closely, 
and projecting above the top enough to be easily lifted. 
The coolest place you have that is not freezing is the best 
to keep them in." 

Pickled Cauliflower. 
Out in small clusters, wash carefully and sprinkle with 



140 dora's housekeeping. 

salt. After twelve hours shake off the salt and pour on 
boiling vinegar seasoned with whole peppers. 

Chow-Chow. 
One peck green tomatoes, half a peck green peppers, a 
quarter of a peck onions, one large cabbage, one cauli- 
flower. Chop all finely together and pack in layers with 
salt between, using at least three quarters of a pint to the 
above mixture. Let it stand over night, squeeze it out 
of the brine, then add a quarter of a pound white mus- 
tard seed and the same quantity of ground mustard; 
pack it down in the jar and pour over it boiling vinegar 
to cover it entirely. 

"Be very sure that you get the best ground mustard. 
Some of it is shockingly adulterated, and would give a 
disagreeable taste to the whole mixture. It is always well 
to try it on the table before using it; if it doesn't taste 
good there, it won't in the pickles. Unless you are very 
fond of chow-chow at your house, half that recipe will be 
plenty." 

Ripe Tomato Picexe. 
Take what are called " beefsteak tomatoes," not quite 



SHE MAKES PICKLES. 141 

ripe; cut them in two and lay on a dish cut side up, then 
sprinkle with salt. Let them stand twenty-four hours, 
drain well, then lay in vinegar and water or weak vinegar 
twenty-four hours more; drain again and slice among 
them four large onions to a peck of tomatoes, adding one 
dozen cloves, the same of black peppers and two whole 
red peppers to this quantity. Turn a plate over them in 
the jar to keep them down, and cover with cold vinegar. 
This will not last long, but is excellent while it lasts. 

Spanish Pickle. 
Slice two pounds green tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and 
let them remain over night. Squeeze out the water and 
add one quart white onions, sliced, one pint chopped 
green peppers, half a pound white mustard-seed, the 
same of black and a quart of grated horseradish. Mix 
all together and cover with cold cider vinegar. 

" Yinegar is another thing that you have to be very 
particular about. If you get a poor kind your pickles 
will only be ruined. Tou will have to depend on the 
best grocers or people of known reputation, because you 
would not be able to distinguish the acids they put with 
it from the real article." 



142 doea's housekeeping. 

Tomato Catsup. 
Four quarts peeled tomatoes, four tablespoonfuls salt, 
four do. ground black pepper, two do. ground allspice, 
eight red-peppers, eight tablespoonfuls mustard-seed; the 
whole to be bruised fine, simmer slowly in one pint of 
vinegar three hours; then strain and boil down to two 
quarts. 

Tomato Soy. 
Two gallons green tomatoes, sliced without peeling; 
twelve good-sized onions, sliced; two quarts vinegar, one 
of sugar, half a pint salt, two tablespoonfuls ground 
mustard, two of ground pepper, one of allspice, and one 
of cloves ; mix all together and stew until tender, stirring 
often to prevent its burning. Put up in small glass jars. 
This is excellent with almost every kind of meat and fish. 

Chili Sauce. 
Ten pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced, two pounds 
onions chopped fine, seven ounces green peppers with the 
seeds taken out, also chopped, one and a half pints vine- 
gar, a quarter of a pound salt; boil all together several 
hours until you think it is thick enough. There ought 
to be about four quarts. Excellent for seasoning gravies, 



SHE MAKES PICKLES. 143 

nieat-pies, ragouts, hashes, soups, etc. Keep in glass 
jars. 

Spiced Currant. 
Five pounds ripe currants, three do. sugar, one pint 
vinegar, one tablespoonful each of cinnamon, cloves, all- 
spice and pepper, half a tablespoonful salt; boil all 
together slowly for three hours. Delicious to eat with 
roast meats. 

Pickled Peaches, Pears and Plums. 

To six pounds of the fruit add three of sugar, one 
quart of vinegar, one tablespoonful each of allspice, mace 
and cinnamon, and one teaspoonful cloves. 

Add the sugar and spice to the vinegar; heat it and 
skim the surface. Put in the fruit without peeling, and 
boil slowly until tender enough to prick with a straw. 
Take out the fruit with a skimmer and spread upon dishes 
to cool. Boil the syrup thick, pack the fruit in glass 
jars and pour the syrup over it, boiling hot. Set away, 
and after a few days heat the vinegar again and pour it 
over the pickles. 

Pickled Cherries. 
The same as in the above recipe, except that the fruit 



144: doea's housekeeping. 

is not boiled; merely pour over the vinegar, etc., after it 
has been scalded, skimmed, strained and allowed to be- 
come perfectly cold. Leave the stems on the cherries. 

PlCKLETTE. 

Take fonr large, crisp cabbages and one quart onions, 
both chopped fine; two quarts vinegar, two pounds 
brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls each of ground mustard, 
black pepper, ground cinnamon, turmeric and celery-seed; 
one tablespoonful each of allspice, mace and pulverized 
alum; pack the cabbage and onions in alternate layers 
with a little salt between them and let them stand over 
night, then scald the other ingredients together and pour 
over them. Do this three mornings in succession, and 
on the fourth heat all together and boil five minutes. 
When cold, pack in small jars. It is fit for use as soon 
as cold, but keeps well if tightly corked. 

" Now there are enough pickle receipts to furnish a 
hotel," said Mrs. King. " I havn't given you any for 
mangoes, because they are so exceedingly troublesome 
that I don't like to have you waste your time on them. 
When you're a young lady out of school, then, if you 
have nothing better to do, we'll try some of those elabor- 
ate things." 



SHE MAKES PICKLES. 145 

" I like to know how to make the best kind of every- 
thing," answered Dora, " but this will be plenty for now. 
What is ' strong brine, 5 Aunt Jane?" 

"Water saturated with salt. You know water will 
melt a certain quantity of salt without showing it; if 
you put in more than this, so that the grains of salt 
are visible, there is just so much more than enough to 
saturate it. You use much less than this for cooking 
meats and vegetables; it is only when things are to be 
kept long that the water needs to be so very salt. There 
is one more thing that I don't think I have told you 
about; you must never put away any thing acid in tin, 
especially if the tinned surface has begun to wear off at 
all; your pickles will turn to poison." 

"Why so, Aunt Jane?" 

" Because acids have the property of combining read- 
ily with the oxide or rust formed by the union of a metal 
with the oxygen in air or water, and producing a new 
substance, usually poisonous. The reason why a tin pan 
becomes dangerous in proportion as it has been much 
used, is that it is not pure tin, which does not rust easily, 
but iron coated over; and iron is one of those subject to 
this kind of change." 
10 



CHAPTEE IX. 

SWEETS. 

" As there seems to be a temporary lull," said Mrs. 
King to Dora one evening, " and as we can't tell how 
soon the storm may break out again, we might as well 
begin on the preserves. Have yon ever made any?" 

"Not alone/' said Dora, "but I have helped mam- 
ma." 

" Then you know what a simple thing it is. The great 
difficulty lies in knowing just how long to boil the fruit. 
If you take it out too soon the preserves will not keep; 
if you leave it in too long they will boil to rags. That 
is something only to be learned by studying the book of 
Experience. Then judgment is required to know in 
what stage to take the fruit, which mustn't be too ripe, 
and how long to boil the syrup before putting it in ; but 
it won't take you long to learn." 

" Shan't we can part of them, Aunt Jane?" 

"Yes, the canned ones are excellent for common family 



SWEETS. 147 

use, if yon do tliem carefully; but I cling to the old-fash- 
ioned idea that one should always have some real pre- 
serves in the house for company and grand occasions. 
What kind of preserving-kettle have you?" 

"Porcelain ones, two or three sizes." 

" Those are very nice so long as you don't burn them. 
I use bell-metal, which lasts longer, but requires constant 
care in washing and scouring to make it safe. When I 
was young, nobody thought of keeping house without a 
brass-kettle; and oh, the scouring with hot vinegar, and 
the everlasting caution! So long as a lady does every- 
thing herself and is willing to take the necessary care, it 
is all very well; but there isn't one cook in five hundred 
I would trust with one without looking after." 

" Why do they need so much care. Aunt Jane? " 

" Because, as soon as the brass surface is exposed to the 
air and begins to cool, verdigris, which is a deadly poison, 
forms on it. The only way to remove this is to scald the 
kettle thoroughly with hot acid, which combines readily 
with the verdigris and they can then be cleaned off 
together. If you want all the recipes for preserves you 
may take my book and copy them out, and where there's 
anything yon don't understand, I'll explain," 



148 dora's housekeeping. 

Preserved Strawberries. 
Pick over the strawberries, but do not wash them; allow 
a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit and set them, all 
together, over a slow fire. The berries will afford juice 
enough without adding water. Do not cook too many 
at once or they will be mashed and unsightly. Stir care- 
fully with a wooden spoon, and when you wish to remove 
the scum, set your kettle on the back of the stove where 
it will cease boiling, otherwise you will waste the syrup. 
After the sugar is perfectly dissolved you may boil mod- 
erately hard for twenty-five minutes, then take out the 
fruit with a skimmer and put it into jars; after which 
boil the syrup five minutes longer, pour it over and seal 
up while hot. 

" How can I tell how many jars I shall need, Aunt 
Jane?" 

" Only by trying. You can fill each jar about three- 
quarters full of fruit; then if you haven't enough syrup 
to finish with, take the last jar-full and distribute it 
among the rest, putting whatever is left over into a cup 
or tumbler. The jars must be full when you cover them ; 
as they cool the contents shrink a little, which leaves a 



SWEETS. 149 

vacuum that helps to keep the preserves from spoil- 
ing." 

" How must they be covered? " 

" That's a business by itself. The easiest way is to use 
Mason's self-sealing jars with covers, which screw on and 
save you all further trouble; the next is to get glass jars 
with round corks that fit tightly into the mouths. 
There is a preparation of sealing wax sold at the drug- 
stores, which you melt over a hot fire and cover the corks 
with this so as exclude the air completely; this is a more 
troublesome way, but less expensive. Remember always 
that if the air gets into your preserves they are ruined, 
unless you can use them up within a day or two." 

" You don't have to take so much care with currant- 
jelly, do you, Aunt Jane?" 

"Oh no; any kind of jelly or marmalade, not having 
syrup, which is the part that ferments, is in little danger 
provided you keep it in a cool place. You must cut 
pieces of white tissue paper just to fit the top of the jelly, 
and lay them on double, after dipping them in white of 
egg or brandy; then paste smooth brown paper over the 
top of the tumbler or bowl, letting it come about half an 
inch over the edge. Of course you don't do this until 
the jelly is perfectly firm." 



150 dora's housekeeping. 

Preserved Cherries. 
Stone the cherries, preserving all the juice; weigh the 
fruit, allowing pound for pound of sugar; put the fruit 
and sugar in layers into the kettle and pour over the 
juice, rinsing the dish that held it with very little water, 
which you add; boil the whole gently until the syrup 
begins to thicken; then pour all together into the jars 
and seal at once. 

"How I do hate stoning cherries!" exclaimed Dora. 
" It's so tiresome, and it stains your fingers so! " 

" I have a 'stoner ' which saves at least three-fourths 
of the labor. Of course it will stain the fingers; you 
can't help that. But a little lemon-juice or diluted 
oxalic acid will take off most of it, and you must let the 
rest wear off." 

Raspberry or Blackberry Jam. 
Take equal quantities of currants, carefully stripped 
from the stalks, and of raspberries ; add pound for pound 
of sugar and boil all together very slowly until the sugar 
is dissolved, and then briskly for half an hour longer. 
I think the currants a very great addition. If you use 
raspberries alone, three-quarters of a pound of sugar to 



SWEETS. 151 

one of fruit is sufficient, and the same proportion will do 
for blackberries or black- cap raspberries. 

Gooseberry Jam. 
Weigh the berries and stew over a slow fire for an 
hour; their own juice will supply the liquid; then add 
pound for pound of sugar and stew another hour. If 
you wish preserves and not jam, do not boil them the 
second hour, but seal up as soon as the sugar is perfectly 
dissolved. 

" In preparing the gooseberries," said Mrs. King, " you 
should have a pair of scissors to cut off the flower-tops 
with. As they require a long time to cook, you can have 
something else on the stove at the same time — straw- 
berries, perhaps. It is better economy of time and trou- 
ble to have several kettles of preserves on at once, none 
of them more than half full. I generally have about 
four, and stirring and skimming one after the other, keeps 
me busy all the time. But of all things in the world, 
don't let them burn. That is the most cruel waste of 
time, money and trouble that I know of." 

Grape Jam. 
Separate the skin from the pulp, keeping both; put the 



152 doea's housekeeping. 

pulps in the preserving -kettle with a teacup of water; 
when thoroughly heated, run them through a colander to 
separate the seeds, then put the skins with them, and 
weigh; to each pound of fruit add three-quarters of a 
pound sugar, and water just enough to keep from burn- 
ing; then cook slowly three-quarters of an hour. 

Preserved Pineapple. 

Pare the fruit and take out the eyes; if you wish an 
elegant preserve, cut into slices, not too thin, and take 
out the center of each with a corer; weigh pound for 
pound of sugar and put into the kettle together with a 
teacupful of water for each pound of fruit, heat to a boil, 
then take out the fruit with a skimmer and spread on 
dishes in the sun. Boil and skim the syrup half an hour, 
then put back the fruit and boil fifteen minutes ; then 
cover as usual. 

For a family preserve, cut the fruit into dice and boil 
the whole together half an hour; if the syrup does not 
look thick enough, boil a few minutes longer. 

Pineapple marmalade is made of the fruit grated and 
boiled in its own juice with pound for pound of sugar; 
cook slowly and stir often. This is extremely rich and 
luscious. 



SWEETS. 153 

Preserved Plums. 
Prick the plums with a large needle to keep them from 
bursting; place in layers in the kettle, with pound for 
pound of sugar, and let the whole come slowly to a boil; 
then take out the fruit with a skimmer, drain well, and 
spread on dishes in the sun. Boil the syrup slowly 
half an hour, skimming frequently, then put in the 
plums and boil ten minutes. Spread out on dishes as 
before; when cold put them into the jars, pour the boil- 
ing syrup over them and seal quickly. 

Preserved Peaches. 
Pare the peaches and cut them in two ; take half the 
stones, crack them carefully and blanch the kernels; put 
over the fire as many pounds of sugar as you have peaches, 
with half a teacup of water for each pound; boil and skim 
this for fifteen minutes, then put in the peaches and boil 
until they look transparent; then take them out with a 
skimmer and lay on dishes; put in the kernels and boil 
the syrup fifteen minutes longer. "When the fruit is cold, 
lay it carefully in the cans with a spoon, and pour the 
boiling syrup over it. Seal immediately. 

" Suppose the peaches shouldn't be cold by the time 
the syrup is done?" said Dora. 



154 

" Then you must keep the syrup hot on the back of 
the stove, but don't allow it to boil any longer." 

Preserved Pears. 
Pare and leave on the stem, but do not cut the fruit in 
two; then proceed as with peaches. As pears are some- 
what insipid, you may flavor them with lemon or ginger. 
If with lemon, allow one large lemon to every two pounds 
of fruit; squeeze the juice into the syrup and boil the 
peel (first removing all the seeds) in clear water until it 
is soft; then cut it in thin strips, leaving out the thick 
white, and boil it with the fruit. If you use ginger, 
allow half an ounce of race ginger to a pound of fruit; 
tie it in a muslin bag and boil it first with the syrup and 
afterward with the fruit. Remove it when the preserve 
is sealed up. 

Peach Marmalade. 
Pare the peaches, take out the stones, and weigh; al- 
low three-quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of 
fruit. Put the peaches, without water, over a very slow 
fire to draw out the juice, stirring frequently. When 
this is done you may boil quickly for three-quarters of 
an hour, stirring to a jam ; then add the sugar and the 



SWEETS. 155 

water in which one-half the kernels have been boiled and 
steeped; continue to skim as long as any scum rises; 
when the jam is thick and smooth, which will be prob- 
ably in fifteen minutes from the time the sugar is put in, 
turn it into crockery jars or bowls, and when cold cover 
like jelly. A ripe pineapple cut up very fine, or grated, 
and boiled with the peaches, improves the flavor for some 
tastes. 

" In all receipts for preserves where time is given," 
said Mrs. King, "you must use your own judgment 
somewhat. Sometimes you will see so plainly that a 
thing is done that you need not leave it on the full time 
stated; sometimes you may be equally certain that it 
has not boiled long enough and will not keep. Brains 
and experience, again ! " 

Preserved Citron. 
Pare off the green skin and scrape the inside well; 
then cut the melon into sections, and these again into 
strips about half an inch wide and two inches long; the 
length is of little consequence, provided they are thin. 
Boil these in clear water until soft, have ready a syrup 
made with pound for pound of sugar and a cupful of 



156 doraVs housekeeping. 

water to each pound, and boil the citron in it until trans- 
parent, with the juice of a lemon and half an ounce 
of race ginger for each pound of fruit. Tie the ginger 
in a lace or coarse muslin bag, and take it out before 
bottling the preserve. 

"That is a great favorite at our house," said Mrs. 
King, " and very inexpensive. As cutting the melon is 
rather hard work, you might better let the cook do it for 
you; a strong woman will do it in a few minutes." 

Preserved Crab- Apples. 
Leave on the stems and prick with a coarse needle with- 
out paring. Make a syrup as for citron and boil the 
fruit in it until tender; then take it out with a skimmer 
and spread it out to cool while you boil down the syrup, 
as for peaches. 

Orange Marmalade. 
Take one dozen Seville oranges, one dozen common 
oranges and one dozen lemons, and boil them all together 
for five hours; then scoop out the insides, removing the 
seeds, cut the peel into thin slices and add to every 
pound of pulp and peel weighed together one pint of 
water and two pounds sugar. Boil twenty minutes. 



SWEETS. 157 

Preserved Quinces. 
Wipe thoroughly with a crash towel, and cut out the 
flower; cut them in two and take out any imperfect or 
worm-eaten parts, then boil very gently in clear water 
enough to cover them, until you can pierce them easily, 
but not till they begin to break; they must be firm to 
look handsome. Save the water they were boiled in and 
add to it the skins and cores, removed after boiling, being 
careful to let no wormy parts remain ; set this aside for 
another use. Quarter the fruit. Make a syrup as for 
peaches, and finish in the same way. 

Quince Marmalade. 
This can be made of the smaller and poorer quinces. 
Boil them soft like the others, then pare and core and 
cut up into dice. Boil all the parings and cores in the 
water yon have saved, stirring frequently, until the whole 
has boiled to rags, then strain through a hair sieve or a 
piece of coarse book-muslin. Weigh the quinces and 
take twice their weight of tough, sweet apples pared, 
cored and chopped fine; allow half the weight of quinces 
and apples together in sugar; that is, for one pound of 
quinces and two of apples you will need one and a half 



158 dora's housekeeping. 

pounds of sugar. Put the sugar with the water the 
parings were boiled in over the fire and add the quinces ; 
after these have boiled a quarter of an hour stir in the 
apples and boil all together until it is quite thick; then 
put it up like jelly. 

Brakdied Peaches or Pears. 
Pound for pound of fruit and sugar; make a syrup of 
half a gill of water to each pound of sugar; when it 
comes to a boil, skim, then boil the fruit in it for five 
minutes, take out the fruit and boil the syrup hard fifteen 
minutes longer; add one gill of the best white brandy 
for each pound of fruit, take the syrup immediately off 
the fire, pour it into the bottles over the fruit, and seal. 

Brakdied Cherries. 
Leave on the stems; make a syrup as for brandy 
peaches, and after it boils let it cool partially; then pour 
it over the cherries, and let them lie in it an hour, off 
the fire; then put all together over the fire and heat 
slowly to a boil, after which boil five minutes; take out 
the fruit with a skimmer, and proceed as with peaches, 
except that the cherries do not need quite so much 
brandy — a pint to every five pounds is sufficient. 



SWEETS. 159 

Preserved Tomatoes, ripe. 
Take small, firm, round tomatoes, the yellow are the 
best; peel them and let them lie between layers of sugar, 
pound for pound, over night, then drain off the syrup 
and bring it to a boil, skimming well. Put in the tomat- 
oes and boil gently twenty minutes ; take them out with a 
skimmer, spread them on dishes, boil down the syrup and 
just before pouring it over the fruit add the juice of one 
small lemon to every two pounds of fruit. If the lemons 
are large, use in proportion. 

"'Of course you know how to peel tomatoes neatly," 
said Mrs. King. " Lay them in boiling water until the 
skin comes off easily, but not a moment longer or the 
surface will become mushy" 

Green Tomato Preserves. 
Pierce the fruit, which must be very small, with a fine 
knitting-needle, but do not peel. Allow seven pounds of 
sugar to eight of tomatoes, and boil all together till the 
fruit is clear; add the juice of four lemons, and finish 
like ripe tomato preserves. 

" I should think the sugar would burn without any 
water," said Dora. 



160 dora's housekeeping. 

" You mustn't let it burn. Put it over such a slow 
heat that the juice will be gradually drawn from the to- 
matoes while they are getting hot. You might put in 
half a cupful. of water to start with, but if there is much 
the syrup will be thin and poor." 

"What are compotes?" asked Dora, looking over her 
aunt's receipt book. 

" Fruit stewed for immediate use, not intended for 
keeping. They are not much used now, as it is so cus- 
tomary to can fruit, and so do the whole thing before- 
hand; but they are very nice. If you get a basket of 
poor, hard peaches, they are much better stewed for tea 
with a little sugar and water than eaten raw; if your 
blackberries or raspberries have been picked too long and 
are not quite fresh, put them over the fire with a very 
little sugar, and you will have a delicious, wholesome 
dish for tea; a compote of apples is a grade above apple- 
sauce, and makes a handsome dish when you want to 
spare your preserves. Pare, quarter, core and weigh the 
apples ; make a syrup with a quarter of a pound of sugar 
and a cup of water to each pound of apples, and after it 
has boiled up stew the apples in it until they are done, 
adding the juice of a lemon for every pound of fruit, 



SWEETS. 163 

and the rind cut into thin strips, which should be boiled 
with the apples. If you want them to look firm and 
handsome take them out with a skimmer and cool them 
in the dish they are going to table in, while you boil 
down the syrup a little." 

What are 'candied fruits,' Aunty?" 

I will give you the receipt for them; you will not 
want many, but they make a beautiful addition to the 
dessert for a 'company dinner. 5 They are served after the 
ice cream and just before the coffee. 

Candied Fruits. 
Make a rich syrup with a pound of sugar to a gill of 
hot water, have it in a broad, shallow preserving-kettle, 
as only one layer of fruit should be done at a time; pare 
and halve your peaches, pears and plums, and stone the 
cherries, which should be large and sweet; drop them 
into the syrup and cook slowly until clear; drain them 
in a skimmer, lay on plates and dry in a heater. In 
twenty-four hours they ought to be ready to pack away 
in jars. 



"What is a heater?" 
tin 
11 



" A tin arrangement to fasten on to the back of the 



162 bora's housekeeping. 

stove and keep things hot without cooking them. I 
should not know how to get along without one." 

"Can you candy different kinds of fruit together?" 

" Oh, dear, no! Tou must do each kind separately in 
its own syrup. The syrup will be nearly used up when 
they are done, and what is left is excellent for pudding- 
sauces. But when you put them on table they should 
be all together prettily arranged in a small glass dish. 
Each person is expected to take only a taste of each, and 
it is taken with the fingers, like candy." 

" I don't think I know how much a gill is," said Dora. 

" It is a quarter of a pint, or about half a common 
tumblerful. You can measure half a gill by taking four 
table-spoonfuls. Now we come to the jellies." 

Currant Jelly. 
Select currants not very ripe, mash them to a jam and 
then squeeze through a coarse factory cloth. Allow a 
pound and a quarter of white sugar to each full pint of 
juice; heat the juice over the fire and the sugar in shal- 
low pans in the oven; when both are very hot, put them 
together and boil five minutes; set off the fire for a few 
minutes, then skim and pour into glasses. Set these in a 



SWEETS. 163 

sunny window for three or four days, cover and keep in 
a cool place. 

" I think I have heard mamma say that she used 
' pound for pint ' of sugar in her jelly, 55 said Dora. 

" Most people use only that quantity, but I find this 
recipe so absolutely certain to make firm, clear jelly that 
I always use it. If the currants are the least over-ripe 
you will find a difficulty in making the jelly ' set ' well. 
You might try yours with two ounces over the pound, 
which I dare say would do equally well. 55 

"Have you recipes for other jellies, Aunt Jane? I 
don 5 t see any. 55 

" The same will do for all, except that for other fruits 
pound for pint is enough. Wherever the fruit is juicy 
you add no water. The juice can be extracted from 
peaches by cutting them into a small stone jar which you 
set in a pot of boiling water and stir occasionally until 
the peaches will mash readily, then strain out the juice. 
Do the same with quinces, except that you may add a 
cup of water to every five pounds of quince. Parings and 
seeds should be left in, the whole being cut up together. 
Grapes make a delicious jelly, the juice being drawn out 



164 

by heat in the same manner. When you are making 
much jelly it is worth while to take first only what 
juice will drain through the cloth without squeezing, 
measure the sugar for it and make it up by itself, leaving 
what has to be squeezed out for plain family use. It all 
tastes good, but the clearer it is, the more elegant." 

Apple Jelly. 
Wash and quarter sour apples; put them in a porcelain 
kettle and cover with cold water; let them boil untouched 
until they break, then put them away in an earthen bowl 
or jar for three days; then drain them without pressing, 
add pound for pint of sugar, and boil three-quarters of an 
hour. 

"To fill your jelly-glasses," said Mrs. King, "you 
should always pour from a large pitcher, not try to ladle 
out the scalding liquor direct from the pot. And the 
glasses themselves should be heated by being dipped in 
hot water for a moment, and then wiped rapidly. I ought 
to tell you that there is another way of making all these 
jellies; you boil the juice twenty minutes without the 
sugar, making this in the meantime so hot that you can't 
bear your hand in it; then pour the two together and put 
up immediately without further boiling." 



SWEETS. 165 

" Did you ever hear of sweet potato preserves, Aunt 
Jane?" 

" Why, no! Can there be such a thing? " 

"Yes; we had some at Mrs. Owen's once when 
I was there at tea with mamma. They were so rich 
and luscious we could only eat a very little. I think 
she said she made a syrup just as she did for peaches, 
parboiled the potatoes and cut them in round slices, 
and then boiled them in the syrup until they looked 
clear. 5 ' 

" I think I must try that some day," said Mrs. King, 
"if only for the curiosity of it. Now, I believe that is 
all you need to know about jellies, so we will go on to the 
canned fruits." 

Canned Peaches. 
Take large, white, freestone peaches, pare, stone and 
drop into cold water. When all are done, drain and 
measure the fruit and pack in a perserving kettle with a 
heaping tablespoonful of sugar to each quart of fruit, 
scattering it between the layers. Fill your kettle and 
heat slowly to a boil; boil three minutes, can, and seal 
instantly. Before putting the fruit into the kettle pour 
in a cupful of water to prevent burning. 



166 

Canned Pears. 

For fine pears, prepare a syrup with a quarter of a 
pound of sugar and a pint of water to each pound of 
fruit. While this is slowly heating peel the pears, drop- 
ping each into cold water as it is done. When the syrup 
boils hard, drop in the pears carefully and boil slowly 
until they look clear and can be pierced easily with a fork. 
Have the cans ready and hot, pack in the pears, fill with 
boiling syrup and seal. 

Common pears must be boiled in water until tender, 
then thrown into the hot syrup and boiled ten minutes 
before being canned. They are, however, scarcely worth 
the trouble of putting up. 

Canned Berries. 
Heat slowly, without water, in a large kettle. When 
they begin to boil, add sugar in the proportion of a large 
tablespoonful to each quart. Before doing this, if there 
is much juice in the kettle dip it out and save it for pud- 
ding-sauce. Leave the berries almost dry before putting 
in the sugar. Boil fifteen minutes and can. 

" The one great thing in canning," said Mrs. King, 
" is to seal up instantly. Fill the jars until they fairly 



SWEETS. 167 

run over with the boiling fruit, have the covers close at 
hand, and clap them on. Screw as tightly as you can, 
and as the can cools, screw it down again. Always have 
the can hot before putting in the fruit. Both preserves 
and canned fruit should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. 
While we are on the subject of canning, I may as well 
tell you how to do tomatoes, for you'll want an unlimited 
quantity of them." 

Canned Tomatoes. 
Pour on boiling water so that you can take off the 
skins; drain off in a colander whatever juice will come 
without hard pressing, put them in a kettle and heat 
slowly to a boil. Boil ten minutes, dip out the surplus 
liquid; then can, following the directions for preserves. 
This is much cheaper than buying the canned tomatoes, 
and if you follow the directions faithfully, it cannot fail. 



OHAPTEE X. 

THANKSGIVING. 

" As sure as I'm alive," exclaimed Dora, one morning 
in November, "next week's Thanksgiving! " 

Although the expression was not strictly grammatical, 
the fact could not be denied. The Fall had glided away 
so quickly, it scarcely seemed possible that the venera- 
ble festival should be close at hand without her having 
once thought of it. 

" I wish we could have you all here to dinner, Aunt 
Jane," continued the enthusiastic housekeeper, " and let 
me get up the dinner. What fun it would be! " 

" My dear child," answered Mrs. King, laughing, 
" you don't know what you're undertaking. A company- 
dinner for ten people! Why, it would turn your hair 
gray ! You'd much better all come in and dine with us, 
as I was going to ask you to, at any rate." 

But Dora's zeal was not to be quenched so easily, and 
she ran home to ask her father's consent. Mr. Greenwood 



THANKSGIVING. 169 

had grown by this time rather proud of his daughter's ef- 
ficiency, and was not indisposed to let her show what she 
could do, so the invitation was promptly given, though it 
was accepted rather under protest. 

" Now, Aunt Jane," said Dora when she was seated, 
paper in hand, ready to write down the bill of fare, " don't 
you put us off with anything but the very best, just be- 
cause you're going to be the company! Papa won't like 
it if you do. I want you to tell me a regular Thanks- 
giving dinner, just such a one as you would have if we 
were going to your house." 

Mrs. King promised to " play fair," and Dora made 
out the list. Oyster soup, roast turkey, boiled ham, po- 
tato snow, tomatoes, baked sweet potatoes, succotash, 
cranberry sauce, wine jelly and whip cream, as many 
kinds of pie as she liked to make, nuts and raisins, 
oranges and apples, and finally a cup of coffee. 

" Be sure to have every article you will need ready on 
the sideboard beforehand," said Mrs. King. " If you 
trust to getting things from the pantry or the kitchen 
when they are needed, there will be a little scurrying in 
trying to get them on quickly. All your dessert can be 
set out with the plates, saucers, knives and forks, and 



170 

spoons. Yon will need an additional table to put the 
finger-glasses on, they take up so much room. Lay a 
fruit-napkin on each dessert-plate and set the finger-bowl 
on it; then the waiter takes one in each hand and places 
them on the table, with a knife, fork and spoon to each 
person. I'll let our Maggie come and help Serena with 
the waiting, for only an experienced person could serve 
so many people well, and I dont think Serena has had 
much practice in that line." 

" She hates to wait on table," said Dora. " It is always 
easier for one of us to get what is wanted than to try to 
get her in from the kitchen; and as for staying in the 
room, you might as well have a streak of lightning." 

"We can easily manage that. ITow as to the table. 
Tou might better clean all the silver well the day before, 
and have it off your mind. There must be a large spoon 
at each place for the soup, besides those provided for the 
vegetable dishes. If you havn't enough I'll lend you 
some; but for oyster soup dessert spoons do very well, so 
I think you have all you will need. Of course the tur~ 
key will be before your father; can you carve a ham 
neatly?" 

"Pretty well; I've done it, often." 



THANKSGIVING. 171 

"Then the ham can be at your end. If the carving- 
knives need sharpening, have it done beforehand; there's 
nothing more discouraging than a dull knife, and few 
things (in a small way) are more trying than the squeak 
of a knife across a sharpener, or the grating of two edges 
together. Now I think we might begin on our recipes. 
But first, do you know how to make pie-crust?" 

" Oh, yes ; I took the directions from Amy's book, and 
Cousin Helen showed me how to put it together.* It 
was excellent. But is there going to be enough? Don't 
scrimp, Aunt Jane." 

" No, I don't intend to. I'll give you the directions 
for whatever dishes you haven't down in your book; 
those for jelly and whip you will find in Amy's. As you 
can make the pastry, you have only to decide as to the 
filling of your pies. "When I was a little girl it used to 
be an object of pride with country house-keepers to see 
how many kinds they could display at their Thanksgiv- 
ing dinners at once. My mother knew a woman who 
had twenty-eight, but I think we never got farther than 
eleven, There was no waste about it, you know; if the 
pies were set in a cool place they would keep for a fort- 

*This process is explained in " Six Little Cooks," p. 78. 



172 

night, and as they were made especially rich and good 
for this occasion, we had a regular feast of them." 

"What were your eleven kinds, Aunt Jane?" 

"I'll try to remember. Mince, green apple, dried 
apple, dried peach, pumpkin, dried cherry, custard, cran- 
berry, cocoanut — oh, I'm running short." 

" Lemon, perhaps? " 

" Ko; I had never heard of a lemon pie then. I know 
I begged my mother to let me have some preserves so as 
to make a greater variety, but she would't consent to such 
waste. I think the others must have been Marlborough 
pudding, which looks like a pie, you know, and quince, 
stewed up with apple like marmalade, but not rich enough 
to preserve." 

" I'll make as many as I can," said Dora. " But I 
must have some mince-meat." 

u Oh, never mind that for this time," answered her 
aunt. " Mince-meat ought to stand two or three weeks 
before it is used, and takes a long time to make. After 
Thanksgiving you can make some, and then it will be 
ready for Christmas. You must have a pumpkin pie, of 
course, or it wouldn't be Thanksgiving; and a cranberry- 
tart, with twisted strips of paste laid on in diamonds 



THANKSGIVING. 173 

across the top, in the regular old fashion. As these are 
such universal favorites there ought to be two apiece of 
them ; and then if you make a couple of lemon or cocoa- 
nut, there will be all we need and a great deal more than 
we ought to eat. Now take your receipt-book, and we'll 
go at things in regular order." 

Oystee Soup. 
Strain the liquor from two quarts of oysters, and put 
it in a sauce-pan on the back of the stove; then wash 
the oysters and remove every particle of shell. Heat 
three pints of milk with a few blades of mace, and when 
it is hot add to it three ounces of butter rubbed to- 
gether with one and a half of flour; stir this into the 
milk and when it begins to thicken add the liquor from 
the oysters, which must be hot but not boiling. Add 
salt and pepper to taste. When the oysters are well 
puffed out and the edges ruffled, serve the soup. Eat 
with small crackers. If there should be more than half 
a pint of liquor in the two quarts of oysters, take less 
milk, so as to keep the quantity of liquid the same. 

Roast Turkey. 
Make a stuffing with stale bread-crumbs and two table- 



174 dora's housekeeping. 

spoonfuls of butter, seasoned with pepper, salt, and sweet 
majoram or thyme; make it into a mass with a little 
hot water or milk, and set aside for use. Clean the 
turkey thoroughly, if this has not been done at the market, 
being careful in taking out the entrails not to break the 
" crop." Then wash out the cavity, first with a little 
water in which a teaspoonful of soda has been dissolved, 
and then in clear water. Crush the point of the breast- 
bone with a rolling-pin ; then truss the fowl in this way : 
Cross the last joint of the wing above the first joint, and 
skewer them close to the body; cut off the neck, first 
drawing back the skin an inch or two. Near the " Pope's 
nose," each side of the opening made for " drawing " the 
fowl, make an incision, into which by pressing back the 
legs very gently and perseveringly, the ends of the legs may 
be slipped. Stuff this part of the fowl full, and then 
sew it up with strong cotton. Stuff the breast through 
the neck, and tie a string tightly round the skin to keep 
in the dressing. Both string and thread must be removed 
before the fowl is dished. The same directions will serve 
in trussing other fowls. 

In roasting, if the fire is good and the turkey tender, 
allow about ten minutes to the pound ; if otherwise, longer. 



THANKSGIVING. 175 

A tough fowl should always be parboiled before roasting. 
Put two cupfuls of water in the dripping-pan, and lay 
the turkey on a grating on top of this, if you can procure 
or make one. This steams the under part of the fowl, 
and prevents the skin from cracking. Spot the top of 
the fowl with butter or drippings, and baste frequently. 
If the top browns before the rest is done, lay a piece of 
white paper over it. Boil the giblets, chop them very 
fine and add them with the water they were boiled in to 
the gravy, which you can make in the dripping-pan after 
the fowl is taken out. Thicken with a spoonful of browned 
flour, wet up with water that it may not be lumpy, and 
boil up once before pouring into the gravy-boat. If 
there is too much fat in the drippings, pour it off before 
putting in the giblets, as it will give a disagreeable taste 
to the gravy. 

Boiled Ham. 
Select a small ham for boiling; soak it over night, and 
in the morning wash hard with a coarse cloth, and scrape 
the under part. Boil very slowly in plenty of water, 
allowing not less than twenty minutes to the pound; 
when done, take off the skin carefully without defacing 



176 

the ham. Send to table with dottings of black peppei 
over the top, and, if you like, stick a clove into the mid- 
dle of each one of these. If you wish the ham to be per- 
fectly delicious, bake it for two hours in a slow oven after 
it is skinned; put vinegar instead of water into the drip- 
ping-pan, and baste with that. The top of the ham 
should be covered to prevent burning. Ten minutes be- 
fore it is done, take it out and cover it with grated bread, 
then return it to the oven, to brown on the top. Serve 
with a frill of cut white paper around the bone. 

" You haven't room in the oven for the ham and tur- 
key both," said Mrs. King, " so you can boil the ham the 
day before, as it should be cold to eat with the turkey. 
When there is no other meat for dinner it should be 
served hot." 

Cranberry Sauce. 
Wash and pick over a quart of cranberries and stew 
slowly with a teacupful of water, stirring often. They re- 
quire at least an hour and a half to cook. When you 
take them from the fire, sweeten to taste with white sugar, 
and be sure that your taste is a Yerj sweet one. Do not 
sweeten while over the fire. Serve cold. A handsomer 



THANKSGIVING. 177 

dish is made by straining the whole while hot through a 
colander or sieve into a mould wet with cold water, then 
turning it out when firm into a glass dish, but for taste 
the other is preferable. 

Sweet Potatoes. 
Always choose potatoes of as nearly the same size as 
possible. Roast them until the largest feels soft when 
you press it between your finger and thumb. They need 
a little longer time, both for roasting and boiling, than 
Irish potatoes. They are very good warmed over for 
breakfast, cut in slices and fried. 

" We always serve sweet potatoes at our house as a 
separate course," said Mrs. King, u and send round the 
butter-dish with them. Otherwise we never have butter 
on the table with hot meat and gravy, except when there 
is corn on the cob, which of course requires it." 

" I don't think I have any receipt for potato snow," 
said Dora. 

" It is very simple. Use the rule for mashed potatoes, 

and when they are ready rub them quickly through a 

colander into the vegetable dish, being very careful not 

to touch the mass after it falls into the dish. The only 

12 



178 dora's housekeeping. 

objection to this is that it is apt to be cool by the time 
you eat it; but it looks so pretty that one doesn't mind 
that if there are plenty of other things." 
" Now please give me the recipes for pies." 
" You will find an excellent one for lemon pies in 
Amy's book, No. 74, only don't make the mistake Gracie 
did once, of leaving out the sugar! She had accidentally 
omitted it in copying, and you should have seen the wry 
faces we all made when we tried to eat it. It needs a 
good large cup of sugar. If you like, you can make Es- 
ther's Pudding instead (No. 66), only you must double 
the quantities. The directions for cocoanut pudding 
come just after it in the little book. For cranberry tart, 
you make the sauce beforehand, but don't boil it long 
enough to make a jelly; the rest will be done in baking. 
What are called pumpkin pies are now generally made 
of squash, which is rather more easily prepared, and has 
a more delicate flavor; but I will give you the recipes for 
both." 

Pumpkin Pie. 
Remove the seeds and rind, cut up the pumpkin and 
stew until soft in water enough to cover it, taking care 



THANKSGIVING. 179 

not to let it burn; dry off the water gradually over the 
fire until the pumpkin looks a dark brown; strain 
through a colander, add to one quart of it a quart of milk 
and from two to four eggs, according to the richness 
desired; one teaspoon salt, one cup coffee-sugar, one 
heaping teaspoon ginger, half as much cinnamon and 
half a teaspoon grated nutmeg. The eggs must be beaten 
separately and very light. Bake without upper crust. 
Many people prefer it without any other spice than 
ginger. 

Squash Pie. 
Cut a winter squash into pieces and remove the seeds, 
but do not pare it, then steam it until perfectly soft, and 
rub through a colander. Stir in milk to make a thick 
batter, add three eggs for each quart of the mixture, 
sweeten to taste and flavor with a little cinnamon and 
ginger, but not as much as for pumpkin. If desired 
richer, use four eggs instead of three. 

" For most pies made of fruit, whether fresh or dried," 
said Mrs. King, " your own judgment will suffice with- 
out special rules. Tou must first sweeten the fruit to 
taste, and if it is dried, be sure that it is perfectly clean, 



180 dora's housekeeping. 

and well stewed before being poured into the crust. It 
does not cook much in baking. Peaches make the best 
pies of this kind, according to our taste; but dried apples 
are excellent if stewed until very soft, and flavored with 
lemon or dried orange peel. They are a little insipid 
without some added flavor." 

" Doesn't ripe fruit need stewing, Aunt Jane?" 

"Peaches do not; you merely place a layer of sliced 
peaches and a sprinkling of sugar alternately until your 
dish is full, then pour over a tablespoonful of water and 
cover with crust. Of course the plate is lined with paste 
first. Ripe, juicy, tart apples may be treated in the same 
way, but require more sugar and a very little powdered 
cinnamon or cloves. Another way is to stew them with 
very little water, rub through the colander and stir in a 
teaspoonful of butter to each pint of apple, add sugar and 
spice to taste, and do not pour into the pie-plate until the 
sauce is cool. This looks better without an upper crust, 
or with strips laid across like cranberry. Just before 
serving, sift over a little powdered sugar." 

" I wish you'd tell me how to make a roller dumpling, 
Aunt Jane." 

" You will find a full account of them in Amy's book, 



THANKSGIVING. 181 

I think it is No. 49. When yon haven't jam, or don't 
want to use it, dried currants, well washed and evenly 
spread over, make a very good substitute, only rather 
rich." 

The preparations for the Thanksgiving dinner went on 
in the most flourishing manner. Dora obtained a dis- 
pensation by which she was allowed to leave school at 
noon the day before, and all materials having been col- 
lected she spent the afternoon in the kitchen, busy with 
her pastry and final arrangements. As Serena was cook- 
ing the dinner at the same time, Dora thought it would 
be a good time to give her some gentle hints as to wait- 
ing on table. 

" Maggie will be here to help you," she said, " and she 
understands all about it. "We'll have everything that 
will be wanted ready on the side-table beforehand, and 
all you'll have to do will be to change the plates after the 
soup, and then again when we are ready for the dessert- 
Aunt Jane says " 

"Guess you'll have to do your own waitin' on, and 
cookin', too," interrupted Serena, " for I haint a goin' to 
be here. My folks is comin' for me to-night." 

"Why, Serena!" exclaimed Dora, taken all aback, 



182 dora's housekeeping. 

"why didn't yon tell me before?" I can't get anybody 
else now, it's so late." 

" You might a' knowed without tellin' that I wasn't a 
goin' to stop and work on a holiday," remarked the 
amiable " help." " An' I shan't be back till after break- 
fast next day, neither." 

Dora had learned prudence by bitter experience, and 
she restrained the angry words that rose to her lips, 
merely remarking that she was sorry, and that it was a 
great inconvenience. As soon as possible she ran in to 
her aunt and related the story of her woes. 

" I m very sorry for your disappointment, dear," said 
Mrs. King, in her kind, sympathetic tones. " It is in- 
tolerably provoking, certainly; but as we must put up 
with it, I think you might better all come in and dine 
with us this time, and perhaps some other time we can 
return the visit, when you have better luck." 

" But every thing is ready," persisted Dora, trying 
hard to keep back the tears which would stream down 
her face in spite of all her efforts, at this failure of her 
plans. " And my pies and jelly look perfectly lovely, 
and I had engaged a pint of cream for the syllabub, and 
everything. I think you ought to let me send the things 



THANKSGIVING. 183 

all in, so that it can be our dinner, even if it is cooked 
at your house." 

" I have an idea! " said Aunt Jane gaily. " Since you 
are so bent upon it, suppose I lend you my cook for the 
occasion and let Maggie do the waiting, and then it will 
be your dinner out and out. How will that suit you? " 

"Oh, you dear, delightful Aunt Jane!" exclaimed 
Dora, springing up in rapture; "how good in you to 
think of that! It will be just the very thing! But will 
she want to come? Haven't you promised to let her go 
out?" 

" I offered to, but she declined. You know she has no 
other home but this. So we'll consider it settled." 

Dora went home feeling quite light-hearted, but did 
not dare to tell her father anything until he had finished 
dinner, for she knew he would be very angry. The 
moment he heard the circumstances he rose from the 
table and marched with rapid strides towards the kitchen. 

"Oh, papa, what are you going to do?" exclaimed 
Dora running to him and clinging to his arm. " Please 
tell me." 

" To tell that woman to take off her baggage with her 
and never show her face in this house again! " answered 



184 doea's housekeeping. 

Mr. Greenwood, trying to shake off his daughter. u The 
insolent creature!" 

"Oh, don't, Papa, please don't! If you only knew 
how perfectly awful it was to be without a girl when I 
am going to school you wouldn't do it. If it was in 
vacation I shouldn't mind it. Just remember what times 
we had before she came, and it wouldn't be any better 
now. And I'm studying so hard to get ready for our 
Christmas exhibition! And perhaps Annie may come 
back before the next holidays. Please let her stay, 
Papa!" 

Papa was very unwilling to give way, but seeing that 
his daughter had common sense on her side he yielded 
at last, though not without some growling. Dora was 
not easy in her mind until she saw him safe in the parlor 
and the door shut, after which she knew there would be 
little likelihood of his meeting the refractory maiden. 

I wish I had space to tell you of the gay dinner-party 
the next day, but I can only mention one or two incidents 
which interested the young people. When the table was 
cleared for dessert, five grains of dried Indian corn were 
ceremoniously laid by the side of each plate. The 
children opened their eyes and looked at their aunt, who 



THANKSGIVING. 185 

only smiled. "Don't you know what it means?" said 
she after a while. 

Some guesses were made, but none hit the right 
answer until Dora called out, " Oh, I know! It was one 
time when the people at Plymouth had run so short of 
provisions that there was only enough corn left to give 
five grains to each person. Isn't that what it's for, Aunt 
Jane? " 

" Yes, it is to remind us of what they went through 
by contrasting their supply with our abundance. And 
you know that before it became necessary to distribute 
the five grains apiece, a ship came from England loaded 
with provisions ; so we will consider that represented by 
our dessert." 

When this had been duly discussed, Amy said that she 
had brought over a dish of her own preparation, which 
she would like them to try ; only they must be blindfolded 
and promise positively not to look. The name of it was 
"Blind Chestnuts." 

So they promised, and she fed them all round with as 
many of her chestnuts as they would eat, which did not 
amount to a great number because they said they were 
sure there was some trick about it, and were impatient 



186 dora's housekeeping. 

to find out what it was. Then they opened their eyes, 
and discovered that she had been feeding them with small 
lumps of roast sweet potato, made as nearly as possible 
into the form of chestnuts, and they had never discovered 
the difference. 

" They were good, any way, 5 ' remarked the juveniles. 
u But you can't catch us that way again ! " 

" No," said Mrs. Grant, " it's for you to remember it 
and catch somebody else." 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE HOLIDAYS. 

The approach of Christmas brought the promise of a 
great pleasure in addition to those belonging especially 
to the season. Grace and Mabel Yernon, Amy's cousins, 
were to come some days before Christmas and spend a 
fortnight, and as Mabel and Amy were nearly of an age 
and Grace two or three years older, it was agreed that the 
latter should make her visit to Dora. 

"Now I must make some mince-meat," said Dora. 
" Grace won't think I'm any house-keeper at all if we 
don't have mince-pies." 

« Yery well," answered Mrs. King, to whom this ap- 
peal was made, " I'll tell you how to make it, but you 
must be prepared to take a great deal of trouble." 

" I don't mind that," said Dora, " if I can only have 
things that will make a fine appearance and have a grown- 
up look to them. And I'm going to learn how to make 
bread, too, in the holidays." 



188 

" Ambitious young woman ! " remarked her aunt. 
" Well, since you are bent upon distinguishing yourself 
I suppose I must give you my best recipe, though I warn 
you that it is too rich for common use, and that I shall 
advise you to make up a plainer kind for your family." 

" Do let me have the best while I am about it, Aunt 
Jane," answered Dora; "these are for all my life, you 
know. Then you can give me the plain one afterward." 

" Here it is," said Mrs. King. " I took it down from 
the lips of an English house-keeper whose pies were un- 
surpassable, to my taste." 

Mince Meat. 
Five pounds lean beef, boiled and chopped fine, two 
and a half of minced suet, four of seeded raisins, two 
of currants, tw T o of sliced citron, six of brown sugar, 
half a bushel sour apples, first measured, then pared, 
cored and chopped, three pints of boiled cider and one 
of molasses, two grated nutmegs, half a teaspoonfnl black 
pepper, and salt to taste. If not moist enough, add 
common cider. Mix well together and boil one hour. 
"When cool add brandy to taste, then set away in large 
stone jars in a cold place, and cover closely. 



THE HOLIDAYS. 189 

" I make a little variation on that by leaving out the 
pepper and one nutmeg and substituting one teaspoon- 
ful cinnamon and one of ground cloves. You must 
always taste your mince-meat when it is thoroughly 
mixed, and if it needs more spice or sugar, throw in 
a little at a time till it tastes right. Here is a plainer 
recipe." 

Family Mince Meat. 
Two pounds lean boiled beef, one of chopped suet, 
three of apples, two of raisins, one of brown sugar, a 
little salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to taste; 
moisten with sweet cider. 

" If you want to try the first recipe," said Mrs. King, 
" I should advise you to take half of all the quantities 
and then slightly diminish those of fruit. That would 
give you, say, one and a half pounds raisins, three- 
quarters of currants and a half a pound citron, which 
would, make very good pies, and more wholesome than if 
they were richer. There's one thing that you can't be 
too particular about; it is to have your beef perfectly 
cleared from fat and gristle, and your suet from strings 
and bloody scraps, before chopping them. This requires 



190 doea's housekeeping. 

both patience and attention, but nothing must induce 
you to neglect it." 

" Couldn't you tell me some more things to try while 
Grace is here, Aunt Jane? She is a famous cook, and she 
always likes to learn something new." 

" Yes, I have many that are not down in her book, and 
unless she has obtained them since I was there, they will 
be new to her. Here is a very nice one." 

Spanish Cream. 
Beat the yolks of three egg with half a cup granulated 
sugar, heat half an ounce isinglass in three pints milk; 
when it is dissolved and the milk risen to boiling point, 
stir them slowly into the yolks; boil once more and then 
stir in the frothed whites. Pour into moulds and set 
away to cool. 

Plum Pudding. 
One cup chopped suet, one of molasses, one of sour 
milk, four of flour, three quarters of a pound fruit (if 
raisins, seeded but not chopped, if currants, washed very 
clean*), an even teaspoonful each of soda and salt, spice to 
taste; boil or steam two hours. Serve with liquid sauce. 

*Directions for washing dried currants will be found in "Six Little Cooks,' 
p. 174. 



the holidays. 191 

Extempore Pudding. 
Boil one pound rice with a teaspoonful salt, first wash- 
ing the rice in several waters; while hot stir in four table- 
spoonfuls of stewed apples, cherry or any kind of jam or 
preserve of which you have a little left over, add one 
heaping tablespoonful butter, half a pound (or one 
tumblerful) sugar, one teaspoonful cinnamon if you use 
apple sauce. Bake half an hour. 

Children's Pudding Sauce. 
One pint sweet milk, butter the size of a walnut, two 
well-beaten yolks of eggs, one teaspoonful vanilla or bit- 
ter almond flavoring; melt butter in milk, beating all the 
time, then take it from the fire and beat until cool; stir 
a little of this into the yolks, beat well and gradually add 
the rest, heat over a slow fire until it thickens a little, 
sweeten to taste, then take it off the fire and stir until the 
sugar is dissolved. 

Plain Pudding-Sauce. 

One heaping tablespoonful butter, five of sugar, one of 

corn starch rubbed smooth in milk; beat to a cream, 

then add gradually one pint boiling water, one well-beaten 

egg, a little nutmeg and wine or lemon-juice if desired. 



192 dora's housekeeping. 

Molasses Cookies. 
One cup molasses, half a cup each of sugar, butter and 
sweet milk, one tablespoonful ginger, half a teaspoon ful 
salt, the same of saleratus, flour enough to roll easily. 

Minute Cookies. 
One cup sugar, one half cup each of water and butter, 
one pint flour, one half teaspoonful soda. Roll thin and 
bake quickly. 

Delicate Cake. 
One and a half cups each of sugar and flour, one-half 
cup each of butter, milk and corn starch, whites of six 
eggs, one teaspoonful cream tartar, one-half do. soda. 

Snow Tea-Cake. 
Four cups flour, three of sweet milk, two eggs, one 
tablespoonful sugar, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder. 
Bake in muffin-rings. 

Jane's Crullers. 
Two cups sugar, one of sour milk, four eggs, four 
tablespoons melted butter, one teaspoon saleratus dis* 
solved in milk. Mix with flour enough to thicken it 
well, and let the dough stand one hour before baking. 



THE HOLIDAYS. 193 

" There, I think that will do," said Mrs. King. " I 
dare say Grace will have some new ones to add, for 1 
hear she is busy collecting all the time." 

Christmas was to come on Monday, and the visitors 
arrived on the previous Friday, and were warmly wel- 
comed. After Dora and Grace had retired to their room 
for the night they had a long, confidential conversation 
about various matters, — of which we will report only so 
much as concerns our especial subject. 

" Of course Serena will go home to-morrow evening," 
said Dora, " and we shan't see her again before Tuesday 
morning; but she leaves almost everything ready that 
we need on Sunday, so you won't be so very much bored 
by my attempts at cookery. Then on Christmas we all 
go to Aunt Jane's, and she'll be sure to give us some- 
thing gorgeously good, so I think we'll manage to exist." 

" Let me come into the kitchen and help you while 
Serena's gone," said Grace. " I think it's just a3 nice a 
way to visit as any." 

" If you like it, I'm sure I shan't object," answered 
her cousin. " And I wish you'd help me think up some- 
thing new for breakfast. I'm so tired of the old ones I 
don't know what to do." 
13 



194 dora's housekeeping. 

" Do you have liver and bacon? Yeal hash? Fish- 
balls ? Stewed kidneys ? Sweatbreads ? Mackerel ? 
Frizzled beef? Ham and eggs? Corned beef hash? 
Omelette ? All sorts of potatoes ? Muffins ? Toast i 
Fried mush? Fried hominy? Buckwheat cakes? Johnny 
cake? Picked-up cod-fish? Warmed-up beef and mut- 
ton and things?" And receiving an answer in the 
affirmative to each suggestion, Grace paused with a 
puzzled air, as if her imagination had given out. 

" I'll look over my book and see if there's anything 
else," said she, " but those are our stand-bys. Then you 
know there are veal cutlets and mutton chops and pork 
tenderloins and beef steak?" 

" Yes, but I like all those better for dinner. In sum- 
mer it is easy enough, because then there are plenty of 
eggs and we can often get fresh fish; but now I go through 
the rounds and begin again, and it seems as if the same 
thing came so very often." 

The next day a regular cooking frolic began. The 
girls made every thing they could think of that could 
possibly be used for two days, and a new kind of cake 
that should never be cut until the day after it was made, 
and would keep a week if tightly boxed. I will give you 
this and some other of their recipes. 



the holidays. 195 

Clove Cake. 
One and a quarter cups butter, two cups brown sugar, 
four of flour, one of milk, half a cup molasses, five eggs, 
one pound raisins, half a teaspoonful soda, one teaspoon- 
ful each of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in two 
loaves. 

" You must be careful to get the flour measured just 
rightly," said Grace, " or the cake will all crumble to 
pieces. The first time I made it you could hardly eat it 
except with a spoon." 

Empress Pudding-. 
Boil a quarter of a pound rice with half a tea- 
spoonful salt slowly in as much milk as it will take 
up, adding more as it is needed. When perfectly 
soft add two ounces butter, and after it has cooled, 
three well-beaten eggs. Spread this mixture over the 
bottom of a pudding-dish and cover with a layer 
of jam, continuing these alternately until the dish 
is full. Bake in a moderate oven three quarters of 
an hour. Eat cold. If you wish it superlatively 
good, cover it, when helped, with cream or boiled 
custard. 



196 dora's housekeeping. 

" We'll make that for to-morrow," said Grace. " "Won't 
they open their eyes? Now give me a plain one for to- 
day." 

" I'll give you one I took from Marion Harland. It's 
good and easy." 

Cracker Pudding. 
Warm a quart of milk and pour it on one cup 
powdered soda crackers; let them stand together fifteen 
minutes, then add the beaten yolks of five eggs, two 
tablespoonfuls melted butter and half a teaspoonful sod? 
dissolved in hot water; beat all smooth and add the 
whipped whites. Eat hot, with sauce. 

Soft Gingerbread. 
Half a cup melted butter, two cups West India molas- 
ses, one cup sour milk, one egg^ one tablespoon ginger, 
two teaspoons soda, flour enough to make a batter. 

Patent Tea Cake. 
Sift two teaspoonfuls cream-tartar into one quart flour; 
take two tablespoonfuls sugar, two well-beaten eggs, one 
heaping tablespoonful melted butter, and mix all together 
in one pint milk. Just before baking, add one teaspoon- 
ful soda, and bake in gem tins or mufBn rings. 



THE HOLIDAYS. 197 

" I've found something new for breakfast in Mrs. 
Miller's book," said Grace. " We might as well try it, 
and if we like it we can copy out the recipe." 

Breakfast-Beef. 
Three-quarters of a pound of cold roast beef, cut in 
small, thin bits; let this heat slowly in half a pint cold 
water, with one tablespoonful Chili sauce, one teaspoonful 
of salt and half a teaspoonful pepper. Rub the butter 
and flour together with a little of the hot gravy; add 
them to the beef; let it simmer long enough to cook the 
flour; then serve, ornamenting the dish with points of 
toast. 

" Have you any Chili sauce? " 

" No ; but I dare say Worcestershire will do just as 
well. What's your idea about Christmas morning break- 
fast?" 

" Stewed oysters ! I know they're rather dear, but it's 
only once a year. Do you think your father would mind 
it?" 

" No," said Dora, " he says he doesn't mind what things 
I use if I only make something good. He doesn't like 
to have expensive materials spoiled." 



198 dora's housekeeping. 

" I don't suppose anybody does. But I don't think 
we can spoil them, they're so easy to do. Can you get 
them here? That's rather important." 

"Oh, yes; they come in cans. I'll send down directly 
for fear we should forget it, and you might be writing 
down the recipe." 

Stewed Oysters. 

Strain the liquor from the oysters and wash them clean; 
then let them cook a few minutes slowly in their own 
liquor until they ruffle. Have ready a drawn-butter 
sauce, not too thin ; stir in the oysters and liquor, boil up 
once, and serve hot with crackers. The little crackers 
about the size of a dime are the nicest. 

" While I'm about it I may as well give you the next 
one, though it isn't a breakfast dish." 

Scalloped Oysters. 
Butter a pudding-dish very thoroughly and place in 
the bottom a layer of powdered cracker, which is to be 
wet with a little of the oyster-liquor and milk in equal 
parts. Next put a layer of oysters, over which sprinkle 
salt, black pepper, nutmeg and cayenne, which should be 
mixed together beforehand in the proportions of three 



THE HOLIDAYS. 199 

teaspoonfuls of salt to half a teaspoonful pepper, half a 
grated nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne. Dredge this over 
the oysters and then spread small bits of butter evenly 
over them ; then another layer of moistened cracker, and 
so on until the dish is full. Cover at first till nearly 
cooked, and brown at the last. Let the upper layer be 
of cracker, moistened with an egg beaten into the milk. 
Do not attempt this until you have judgment enough to 
know how to season properly, or until you have some one 
to show you. 

As this history doth not profess to give a full account 
of Dora Greenwood's life, but only busies itself with an 
occasional glimpse of her experiences as a housekeeper, 
the writer thereof must be pardoned for not going into 
details concerning Aunt Jane's Christmas dinner, which 
came off as per programme; but will only give the bill of 
fare as written down afterwards by Dora herself, for future 
reference: 

First, mock turtle soup ; then boiled turkey with oyster 
sauce, meat pie, potato croquettes, canned corn and mac- 
aroni; fried oysters, served with dressed celery for the 
second course; after which, mince pies, a plum pudding, 



200 dora's housekeeping. 

some water-ices from the confectioner's, Malaga grapes 
and black Haniburgs, beautifully grouped together in a 
fruit dish ornamented with leaves, and finally, the inevit- 
able cup of coffee. As the children did not partake of 
this last, Cousin Helen had prepared some home-made 
mottoes for them, in which the verses were written by 
herself, and being appropriate to the company, caused 
much amusement. 

" Not a single thing that we had at our Thanksgiving 
dinner except the coffee! " exclaimed Dora, in amaze- 
ment. " Even those beautiful rolls instead of our pieces 
of bread by the plates, and fried bread for the soup in- 
stead of crackers! Oh, yes, I forgot; there was one more 
thing we both had alike; it was the ice- water! " 

" Tou know I only give a dinner-party once a year, 
Dora," said her aunt apologetically, "so I thought I 
might be a little extravagant. Whenever you have half 
an hour to spare, I'll give you all the directions." 

As this did not happen for some time, we may as well 
give Mrs. King's recipes at once. Taking the dinner in 
order, we must begin with 

Mock Turtle Soup. 
Soak one quart turtle or black beans over night, then 



THE HOLIDAYS. 201 

put them over the fire with a sonp-bone chopped up 
small, and boil slowly for five or six hours. When half 
done add half a teaspoonful ground cloves, and salt and 
pepper to taste. When done, strain through a colander, 
pressing through enough of the pulp of the beans to 
make the soup as thick as you desire, and add when you 
dish it one or two hard-boiled eggs cut in slices, and a 
finely sliced lemon. Some people add half a tumblerful 
wine. Serve with slices of bread fried in butter or drip- 
pings and cut into squares, which should be passed round 
in a dish and taken out with a spoon, like small crackers. 
If you choose to take the trouble, you can enrich your 
soup by adding 

Force Meat Balls. 
Three-quarters of a pound veal, three ounces salt pork, 
two of grated bread, three tablespoons sweet cream or 
milk, one teaspoon salt, half a teaspoon each of pepper 
and summer savory, one beaten egg. Chop the veal and 
pork as fine as possible and mix them with the other in- 
gredients; make them into smooth round balls a little 
larger than a marble; fry in deep lard, and place in the 
tureen before pouring in the soup. 



202 dora's housekeeping. 

Boiled Turkey. 
Clean and truss, the same as for roasting; then stuff 
with a similar dressing, except that you substitute chop- 
ped oysters for the sweet herb used for roast turkey, and 
add a little milk. When oysters are not to be had, 
chopped celery will do. Wrap the turkey closely in a 
thin cloth which should be dredged with flour on the in- 
side to prevent the fowl from sticking. Boil very slowly 
and steadily, allowing fifteen minutes to a pound. Serve 
with oyster or celery sauce, according to the dressing. 

Oyster Sauce. 

Take a cupful of the liquor in which the turkey was 
boiled, the same of milk, and eight oysters chopped fine # 
Stir in a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in milk, 
the same of butter and a little finely-chopped parsley. 
Boil up once and serve immediately. 

Another way is to make a drawn -butter sauce, into 
which you pour the liquor drained from half a pint of 
oysters; when made, plunge in the oysters whole and boil 
five minutes. 

Celery Sauce. 
Boil two lar^e heads of celery with a few blades of 



THE HOLIDAYS. 203 

mace in salted water until tender; drain and cut into 
small bits. Take a teacupful of the liquor in which the 
fowl was boiled, and thicken it with a heaping tablespoon- 
ful of flour; add the same quantity of butter, and salt to 
taste; lastly, a teacupful of cream or milk. Stir and beat 
until it is smooth, then heat almost to boiling, stirring 
all the while. Serve in a gravy-boat. 

Beef-Steak Pie. 

Cut the steak into pieces an inch long and stew with 
the bones (which must be cracked), in just enough water 
to cover the meat, until it is half done. At the same 
time, parboil a dozen potatoes in another pot. Line a 
baking-dish with paste, put in a layer of the beef (remov- 
ing the bone), with salt and pepper and a very little 
chopped onion ; then one of sliced potatoes with a little 
butter scattered upon them, and so on until the dish is 
full. Take the gravy in which the meat is stewed, thicken 
it with browned flour and pour it over the pie; then cover 
with a thick crust and cut a slit in the middle. 

A similar pie can be made from rare roast beef, except 
that it requires somewhat more seasoning. A spoonful 
of Worcestershire or Chili sauce makes it very palatable. 



204 dora's housekeeping. 

Crust for Meat-Pies. 
One quart flour, into which sift two teaspoonfuls cream 
tartar, three tablespoon fuls lard, two and a half cups 
milk, one teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful soda wet in 
hot water and stirred into the milk. Rub the lard through 
the flour first with the hands, then add the rest. Work 
up lightly and rapidly, and do not get it too stiff in rolling 
out. 

Potato Crust. 
To a large cupful of mashed potato add two tablespoon- 
fuls melted butter, a well beaten egg^ two cups milk, and 
beat all together until very light. Work in just enough 
flour to enable you to roll it out. A very wholesome 
crust. 

Canned Corn. 
To one can of corn add half a pint of rich milk, two 
ounces of butter, one teaspoonful of salt and half as much 
pepper, and let it simmer ten minutes, or longer if it 
does not appear thoroughly cooked. 

Baked Macaroni. 
Boil six ounces of macaroni broken up very short, until 



THE HOLIDAYS. 205 

half done, in more water than is enough to coyer it ; do 
not stir while boiling; have ready three ounces of grated 
cheese and half as much butter; drain the macaroni and 
place it in layers in a baking-dish, alternately with a lit- 
tle butter and cheese, reserving some of both for the top, 
mix in half a pint of milk, a large half tablespoonful of 
dry mustard, a teaspoonful of salt, and a pinch of cayenne 
pepper; pour this over the macaroni, cover with the 
remainder of the cheese and butter, and bake half an 
hour. After making this by measurement once, you will 
probably be able to proportion the butter and cheese by 
judgment. 

Stewed Macaroni. 
Boil half a pound of macaroni broken into inch-long 
pieces, in a quart of salted water until nearly done; pour 
off the water, cover, add a large cupful of milk and stew 
until perfectly tender. Have ready a cup of milk thick- 
ened with a teaspoonful flour, a tablespoonful butter and 
a beaten egg. Heat this until sufficiently thickened, then 
pour it over the macaroni and serve at once. If it is 
desired more highly seasoned, add a thin layer of grated 
cheese before the dressing is poured on, and mix with the 
latter a little dry mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper. 



206 

Fried Oysters 
Choose the largest and finest oysters you can get; take 
them carefully from the liquor and dry between two clean 
cloths. Prepare some beaten eggs, also some cracker 
rolled fine; and have ready hot butter in a frying-pan. 
Dip each oyster first into the egg and then into the 
cracker, rolling it over until perfectly incrusted, then fry 
quickly to a light brown. Serve the moment they are 
done, on a hot dish garnished with curled parsley. 

" I think you have all now that was new to you," said 
Aunt Jane, when she had dictated thus far. " The celery 
was covered with Mayonnaise dressing, for which you 
have the recipe in Amy's book, where you will also find 
a direction for potato croquettes, and for the ' Rush 
Street Christmas Pudding,' which you all appreciated so 
highly. The pies were just such as you made the mince- 
meat for two or three weeks ago. I was glad none of 
the children touched them; I didn't suppose they would 
when we had pudding, so I only put them on for orna- 
ment." 

" Rather a dangerous experiment, I think," said Dora. 
" My experience is that the only way to keep children 
from wanting pies is not to let them know there are any." 



OHAPTEE XII. 

MORE HARD WORK. 

"I suppose I must, get breakfast to-morrow," said 
Dora, rather ruefully, after they came home from the 
Christmas dinner. " Serena said she didn't know what 
time she should be back, and I know that means some 
time in the middle of the day. I don't mind it so much 
when I once get at it, but I do dread the getting up in 
the morning." 

" Be sure you call me," said Grace. " We can have 
' breakfast-beef ' and maitre d' hMel potatoes ; I'll under- 
take those if you'll do the rest." 

Taking time by the forelock, the two cooks made all 
the preparations they could, overnight; cutting up meat 
and potatoes, setting the table, and placing all adjuncts 
in order in the kitchen. As Dora had predicted from 
experience, it was hard work to turn out of her comfort- 
able bed at six o'clock in the morning and go to work by 
lamp-light; but to Grace it was a novelty, and put her 



208 doea's housekeeping. 

into such good spirits that the time passed very merrily. 
The breakfast was quite satisfactory, except that there 
was a little too much pepper-sauce in the beef, and that 
the potatoes were somewhat undersalted; but by judi- 
ciously mixing the two on each plate, the party made out 
pretty well. 

" It takes you young cooks a gpod while to learn how 
to season," said Mr. Greenwood; "but you must always 
remember one thing — you can add salt and pepper, but 
you can't take them away after they're in, so be a little 
easy with them." 

Washing dishes and putting the house in order is not 
nearly as pleasant as exchanging Christmas presents and 
dining with one's uncle; but our two girls went through 
it like Trojans, knowing that it would make Serena very 
cross to have any extra work to do; but they had no need 
to trouble themselves about her feelings, for the hours 
passed by, and no Serena appeared. Lunch time came 
and the hungry children must be fed. 

" I suppose I must open a can of preserves," said Dora. 
" There isn't a bit of apple sauce in the house, and every- 
thing else seems to be eaten up clean. "What do you 
have for lunch at home?" 



MOKE HAR3 WORK. 209 

"Boiled rice with molasses or brown sugar on it; 
Johnny cake; warmed-up potatoes; plain boiled eggs or 
poached eggs and toast; scrambled eggs; fried apples; 
apple sauce; potato salad; hominy and milk; baked 
potatoes; baked apples or pears; chocolate; dried beef; 
hash left over from breakfast; milk soup; rice pudding; 
fried mush, and sometimes for a treat, doughnuts or fresh 
gingerbread. Pie is the best, but mamma won't let us 
have that, except a deep apple-pie baked without under- 
crust. Then we always have sardines in the house in 
case of sudden company." 

" Most of those things would take too long, 55 said Dora. 
" Let 5 s have something easy. 55 

" Fried apples and chocolate go well together, 55 answered 
her cousin. " If you like, I'll do them while you 5 re set- 
ting the table. 55 

"All right, but how do you do the apples? 55 

" Out them into quarters and core them — they don 5 t 
need skinning — then fry them just as you would potatoes, 
in butter or drippings. Mamma likes drippings best. 
When they are brown you dish them and sprinkle sugar 
over them. Sometimes we have them cut in round, 
flat slices — not up and down, — about four slices in each 
U 



210 dora's housekeeping. 

apple. Then we don't core them. They must be sour, 
you know." 

This dish was favorably received, but as the afternoon 
wore away it became only too evident that they were not 
to look for the return of the cook. So Dora, in a state 
of profound disgust, went in to her aunt's to ask how 
she should cook the dinner. 

"You have a leg of mutton?" said that kind friend. 
" Boil it, that's the easiest way, and then you'll have the 
liquor for soup. Don't get too much salt in, that's all. 
Put it on in cold water over a good fire; after it once 
comes to a boil let it cook slowly and steadily until it is 
done, allowing as usual about a quarter of an hour to 
each pound. Drain the leg perfectly dry before you 
dish it. You will need drawn-butter to go with it, with 
a good tablespoonful of capers or nasturtiums stirred in 
the last thing. Mashed turnips, of course, and plain 
boiled potatoes will be best, as you don't want extra 
trouble; and if you need another vegetable, tomato is 
good with anything." 

u What for dessert, Aunt Jane? Do give us something 
very easy." 

" I'll give you the easiest thing I know of. I'll send 



MORE HARD WORK. 211 

you a pie; then all you'll have to do will be to set it in 
the oven for a few minutes before you eat it." 

"Oh, Aunty, I didn't mean that! How quick you 
always are at thinking of the kindest thing to do! " 

" It will be your turn to think some time or other, and 
you'll be helping Milly and Julia, or perhaps Amy, in 
their housekeeping. But I can tell you how to make an 
easy dessert; boil rice in milk until it will make a smooth 
jelly, then press it into teacups, and when cold turn it out 
on a flat dish. Then in the top of each mould you press 
something to make a smooth round hole, which you can 
fill with, jelly or preserves. That makes a pretty looking 
dish, and if you want it richer you can add cream or 
boiled custard. Another simple dessert is made with 
corn-starch or farina, from the directions given on the 
packages. These are better eaten cold, and you can make 
a nice sauce by beating up an egg very light and stirring 
it into a pint of milk which you afterwards sweeten to 
taste and flavor with a little nutmeg." 

" I should like to know how to boil rice in grains," 
said Dora. 

" The rice must be carefully picked over and washed 
lix two waters, then boiled for twenty minutes in salted 



212 doea's housekeeping. 

water. Do not stir it at all, but shake it hard and often, 
holding the cover on tightly at the same time. At the 
end of twenty minutes drain the water off carefully and 
set the sauce-pan uncovered in some place where the rice 
will dry, but not burn, for a few minutes longer." 

" How much milk do you use to make a jelly? " 

" Fully four times the measured quantity of rice, and 
as it is extremely liable to burn, it is better to allow a 
longer time and set the vessel it is cooked in into another 
containing boiling water. It is safer always to do this 
in boiling milk for any purpose." 

About dark there was a violent ring at the front door, 
followed by the entrance of an unkempt youth, who was 
speedily recognized as Serena's brother. 

"Where's Serena?" panted out Dora, who had rushed 
out from the kitchen with a meat-fork in her hand. 

"Oh, she's concluded she wouldn't come back no 
more; she was agoin' to, but they all set onto her to stay 
to hum, and so she'll take what's comin' to her, and 
Jemimy's come along to pick up her things." 

"I don't wonder she's ashamed to show her face," 
returned Dora, flouncing back into the kitchen, and, I 
regret to say, banging the door after her, "Grace," 



MORE HARD WORK. 213 

said she, after having relieved her feelings in this way, 
" won't you take a lamp and show that fellow and his 
sister where Serena's room is? And when he wants his 
money, tell him to goto papa in the parlor! I guess 
he'll catch it! " But as soon as Grace had started on her 
errand, Dora felt ashamed to think how easily she had 
lost her temper. 

" "Why can't I behave like a lady ? " she thought aloud, 
"and after all my good resolutions, too!" and then she 
had a short struggle with herself, which ended in her 
going to find the little girl who was engaged in bundling 
up Serena's effects, and giving her a pleasant word or 
two, to efface the impression of her previous ill-lmmor. 
Then returning with her to the hall she gave her a seat, 
and showed the ill-favored youth, who was still standing 
awkwardly by the front door, the way into the parlor 
where her father was sitting, and returned to her cooking 
with a more tranquil spirit. 

Once more James was despatched for Mother Moppett, 
but that worthy dame was busy nursing a sick friend, 
and could not be had for love or money. Being a per- 
severing youth, however, he kept on his travels until he 
found a young girl answering to the name of Mary Ann, 



214 dora's housekeeping. 

who was prevailed upon to give what help she could 
until a more available person could be found. 

A very clumsy and inefficient " help " she proved, but 
she could at least wash pots and kettles and scour knives, 
and this relieved Dora from the hardest of her labors. 
By watching her and working with her all the time, it 
was possible to get the roughest part of the work done, 
and by her father's permission Dora sent out the entire 
washing, so that with the help of Grace, who was just in 
her element and regarded the whole as a good joke, the 
young house-keeper thought she could live a few days 
longer, though at first she declared she didn't see her way 
out of it except by committing suicide. 

" I hate to be so troublesome, Cousin Helen," she 
exclaimed, on the day following the visit of the " Seren- 
ites," as she called them ; " but would you teach me to 
make bread? If you were to see papa's look of disgust 
when he has to put any of that baker's stuff into his 
mouth, you'd be sorry for me! " 

" Of course I will with the greatest pleasure," replied 
Mrs. Grant. "I think you're the bravest little thing 
that ever was to keep right on through all your discour- 
agements, and I'm glad to help you whenever I can. 



MORE HARD WORK. 215 

We'll start a sponge to-night, but first yon must learn 
how to make yeast." 

Home-made Yeast. 
Take six large potatoes, wash them clean, and boil them 
vn their skins (this is a very important point), in three 
quarts of water with a good handful of hops, until the 
potatoes fall to pieces. Stir one quart of flour in a little 
cold water perfectly smooth, and strain into this the liquor 
from the potatoes, boiling hot, stirring it free from lumps. 
Put to soak two cakes of " Twin-Brothers' yeast cakes," 
or any other good kind in a cup of lukewarm water for 
fifteen or twenty minutes, then stir smoothly into them 
a tablespoonful of flour and the same of salt. When the 
potato-liquor is cool, add this to it, and pour the whole 
into a jug, which must be tightly corked and kept in a 
cool place, when it will keep at this season for several 
weeks. One cupful of this yeast is sufficient for five 
loaves of bread. 

"As you want the bread immediately," said Mrs. 
Grant, " we will not make yeast to-day, as that ought to 
stand at least twenty-four hours before being used. I 
will give you the directions I learned from, which I took 



216 

mainly from ' Common Sense.' Remember that when 
potatoes are used for bread or yeast they must always be 
old ones; new potatoes will not answer." 

" How do you manage in summer, then, before the po- 
tatoes get old? " 

" You must get some good yeast from one of your neigh- 
bors, or from the baker. Many people send to the baker's 
regularly whenever they make bread, but it is more 
common now to use either home-made yeast or yeast- 
cakes." 

To Make Bread. 
Set a sponge over night in the following way: To six 
large potatoes, boiled and mashed fine while hot, add two 
tablespoonfuls lard, and the same of white sugar. Stir 
to a cream, mixing in gradually a quart of the water in 
which the potatoes were boiled, which must be only about 
blood-warm. Hub three cups of flour smooth in a little 
of the potato water, and beat it well into the potatoes ; 
then add six tablespoonfuls baker's yeast, also well beaten 
in; and lastly a teaspoonful soda. Cover lightly, if the 
weather is warm, more closely in winter, and set to rise 
in a warm place. The next morning sift two quarts or 



MORE HARD WORK. 



217 



more of dry flour into a deep bread-tray ; make a hole in 
the middle of the heap, pour in the risen sponge (which 
should be very light and seamed in many places on the 
top), and work down the flour into it with your hands. 
If too soft, add more flour. If you can mould it at all, it is 
not too soft. Flour your hands well, and work the mass 
into a ball ; lift this from the tray, over which sprinkle 
more flour very thickly; then begin to knead, which you 
must do always towards the center of the mass of dough, 
which should be repeatedly turned over and around dur- 
ing the operation. Knead from twenty minutes to half 
an hour — the longer the better within this limit — then 
work the dough into a smooth ball, sprinkle flour over 
the top, throw a cloth over it, and set it on the table to 
rise — taking care that it is not in a draught of cold air. 
In summer it will rise in four or five hours ; in winter it 
may take six. It should rise steadily, until it is at least 
three times its original bulk, and the floured surface 
cracks all over. Knead again for ten or fifteen minutes 
and then divide the mass into two loaves, which you place 
in well-greased pans for the final rising. The second 
kneading is done upon the bread-board, and should be as 
thorough as the first. Cover the pans and set them in a 



218 

warm place for an hour longer; then bake, taking care 
that your oven is of the right heat. If you can hold your 
bare arm in it while you count thirty rapidly, it is not too 
hot. Keep the heat steady, and the bread ought to be 
done in an hour, but stoves vary so much that there can 
be no universal rule. One thing, however, is perfectly 
certain in bread-making: that without good flour and 
good yeast no amount of skill or patience can possibly 
make good bread. 

Graham Bread. 
Three quarts Graham flour, one quart warm water, two 
gills (one tumblerful) yeast, one gill syrup, one table- 
spoonful salt. Mix all thoroughly, put it in well-buttered 
pans, and leave it in a warm place to rise. Do not bake 
until very light. 

Raised Rolls. 
Take a pint of bread-dough of the first kneading, and 
knead into it a heaping tablespoonful of lard or butter, 
and an even tablespoonful sugar, with the white of an 
egg, beaten stiff; let it stand in a tolerably cool place 
for four hours, then knead it again and let it stand for 
three hours longer. Then roll it lightly about half an 



MORE HARD WORK. 219 

inch thick, cut into round cakes and bring the edges of 
these together, not quite in the middle. Let them rise 
steadily for another hour, then bake in a quick oven. 

" That was the kind you had for Christmas dinner, 
wasn't it, Cousin Helen?" asked Dora. 

" Yes, and they were baked the same day, and so were 
somewhat warm; but we usually have them warm for tea, 
and take what are left over for the next day's dinner." 

Dora's first baking of bread turned out excellent, which 
was probably owing to the fact that her cousin superin- 
tended the whole operation, and told her just when it had 
risen sufficiently for each kneading; and it is always safer 
for a young cook to take lessons from an experienced one 
rather than from books, until her own judgment can be 
relied upon. But where this is impossible, she must try 
and try again, never being discouraged by failures, but 
finding out the reason of each one so as to avoid making 
the same mistakes in future. The truly royal road to 
skillful cookery, as to every other accomplishment, lies 
through hard work and long practice. 

" Don't you want to copy out some more of my new 
receipts?" asked Grace one day, when they had finished 



220 dora's housekeeping. 

tlieir cooking. " I have some lovely ones that I'm sure 
yon would like to make." 

" Yes, indeed," said Dora. " And if ever we get an- 
other girl I'll try them." 

" This is a perfectly elegant one," began Grace. 

Snow Pudding. 
One half-package Cox's gelatine soaked in a cup of 
cold water with one and a half cups sugar; when it is 
perfectly dissolved add one cup boiling water, the juice 
of a lemon and the whites of four well-beaten eggs. Then 
beat it all together till it's light as a feather, and pour it 
into a mould. Make a soft custard with a large pint of 
milk, the yolks of the four eggs and the grated rind of 
the lemon. When the pudding is hard, turn it into a 
glass dish and pour the custard over it. 

Bread Pudding. 
Soak two cups of stale bread-crumbs in a quart of 
milk until very soft ; add the yolks of four eggs, two 
tablespoonfuls of softened butter, one of white sugar, a 
little nutmeg, a quarter of a teaspoonful soda, and, last 
of all, the whites of the eggs. Eat with sweet sauce. If 
you want a fruit pudding, add a cupful of currants or 
raisins. 



MORE HARD WORK. 221 

" I made a queer mess of that the first time I tried 
it," remarked Grace ; " I had copied it into my book as 
two quarts of crumbs instead of two cups, and you ought 
to have seen it !" 

" Equal to the butter-scotch made out of Amy's 
book," answered Dora. " She had put in vinegar instead 
of sugar, and so, of course, it wouldn't harden at all, and 
I boiled it and boiled it, over an hour, I think, and after 
all, it was nothing but a sticky paste. Finally, I showed 
it to Aunt Jane, and she soon found out what was the 
trouble. She thinks there is too much butter in that 
receipt, so now we make it three-quarters of a cup but- 
ter, one cup each of sugar and molasses, and a pinch of 
soda, and it is very good. "We take West India molasses, 
too, for all sorts of candy, it is so much nicer than any 
other kind." 

" I have a new receipt for caramels," said Grace, " that 
is excellent if you have patience to boil it long enough." 

Jenny B's Chocolate Caramels. 
One pound Baker's chocolate, one and a quarter pounds 
brown sugar, a quarter of a pound butter, a cup of 
milk. 



222 doea's housekeeping. 

Lemon Cheese. 
Half a pound each of butter and sugar worked to a 
cream ; rind of two lemons and juice of one, four yolks 
of eggs and two whites, beaten separately; stir all 
together over the fire until the sugar is dissolved, then 
bake in puffs. 

" How do you make the puffs? " said Dora. 

" Oh, just take pie crust and roll it and cut it out with 
a tumbler; then out of half of the pieces you cut a 
smaller circle with the top of a canister, and lay this on 
the other, wetting the parts that touch with cold water. 
We often have them for dessert filled with jam or pre- 



Dearborn Ave. "Waefles. 
One quart sour milk, beaten yolks of five eggs, ond 
tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful salt, one large do. 
soda, one quart flour. Mix all together and lastly add the 
well-beaten whites of the eggs. 

"There, you must be tired of writing; let's go out tor 
& walk, and we can finish them some other time," 



CHAPTER XIII. 

LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. 

The holidays passed away quite gaily by the help of 
Grace's good-natured way of throwing herself into the 
work, heart and soul, and laughing off the various mis- 
haps as if they had been only so many good jokes; but 
this came to an end only too soon. The visitors returned 
to home and school, the last day of vacation was gone, 
and poor Dora looked forward somewhat drearily to the 
prospect of lessons and house-keeping together with her 
only dependence a poor, inefficient drudge, who could not 
even boil a potato without being watched. She was sit- 
ting with her hands before her, idly contemplating the 
prospect, when she was roused by the sound of her aunt's 
well-known footstep. 

"I really have some good news for you this time, 
Dora," said Mrs. King. " It's not a delusion. Mrs. 
Arthur says she will come and stay with you a week or 
two, or longer if you don't find a cook in that time, and 
do the work," 



224 doea's housekeeping. 

" Why, Aunt Jane, I thought she was a dress-maker!" 

" So she is, but she thinks the confinement is not good 
for her health, and she would like to vary it by a little 
stirring about. She is fond of cooking and house-work 
generally, and just now there is no press of sewing. All 
she bargains for is that you should have a woman on 
Mondays to do the washing." 

" Will she eat with us, Aunty?" 

" I presume so ; she always does at houses where she is 
sewing. But you may be sure that if she comes to the 
table she will do it in such a way that there will be 
nothing unpleasant about it. In habits and education 
she is quite the equal of the greater part of the people 
she works for." 

Dora had her own inward misgivings, for she knew that 
her father was fastidious to a fault, and she trembled at 
the thought of his look when he should see the cook sit 
down to the table with him ; but she said nothing, partly 
from respect towards her aunt, and partly from gratitude 
for Mrs. King's unwearied efforts to remove her difficul- 
ties. In due time Mrs. Arthur made her appearance; a 
grave, pleasant-looking woman, not yet arrived at middle 
life, dressed in a clean, dark calico with white collar and 
cuffs. 



LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. 225 

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, and the new 
cook went at once into the kitchen, after putting away 
her hat and cloak into her own room. Dora noticed that 
she took off her cuffs and laid them on a high shelf in the 
pantry, then turned up her sleeves and put on a very large 
gingham apron with a bib, which completely protected 
the front of her dress, the latter being short enough not 
to touch the floor anywhere. 

" Now I'll go on with the dinner," said she, after Dora 
had given her the bill of fare and shown her where vari- 
ous articles were to be found. " You may set the table, 
if you please, and then I can see how you do it here, and 
have it all right when I come to set it myself." 

Having the responsibility thus thrown upon her, Dora 
boldly set a place for Mrs. Arthur at the side of the table 
between the two little girls, thinking that this would be 
less offensive to her father than to see such a person in his 
wife's place, and secretly hoping that the cook would say 
" she didn't care to come in; she wasn't fit." 

In this, however she was mistaken, for when the family 

came down to dinner Mrs. Arthur was there, ready to 

take her place with the others. She had put on her 

white cuffs again, and in addition a white muslin bib- 

15 



226 dora's housekeeping. 

apron, trimmed with plain, flat edging, and as her hair 
was perfectly neat and her hands and nails spotlessly 
clean, it would have been a very unreasonable person who 
found fault with her appearance. Mr. Greenwood received 
her civilly, and as he had been used to seeing her at his 
table when she came to the house as dressmaker, was 
not more displeased than he always was on such occasions. 

"When the meal was over and the dishes removed, Dora 
asked Mrs. Arthur if she needed her for anything; if not, 
she would go and study her lessons. 

"No," was the reply, " not to do anything; but if you 
can spare a few minutes while Mary Ann is eating her din- 
ner, I should like to talk over a plan I have in my mind. 
I don't care to go in until she has done, for I think it 
is disagreeable to have a person move about in the room 
where you are eating, and feel that she is waiting for you 
to get through before she can finish her work." 

Dora was impressed by this thoughtfulness, and ready 
to listen attentively. 

" I've been thinking," said Mrs. Arthur, " that per- 
haps it would be doing a good turn all round if you were 
to keep Mary Ann for the present, and let me see if I 
can't teach her how to work. She is so willing and good- 



LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. 227 

natured that I think I can make something of her, and 
that, besides being of the greatest advantage to her, would 
give you the benefit of it when you had to call in extra 
help. She is dreadfully clumsy and ignorant, but I really 
think she could be trained. I should have her do the 
washing under my direction." 

" Yes, that's the worst thing there is about housekeep- 
ing," remarked Dora, for a moment quite oblivious of 
that other bugbear, cooking. 

" I don't mind washing, myself," continued Mrs. Ar- 
thur; "I rather like it. But it spoils my hands for 
sewing. Then I was going to say that I see the children's 
clothes are very much in need of repairs, and I could put 
them in perfect order while I am here, if there is some 
one to help with the other work." 

" There are piles and piles of mending to do up-stairs," 
said Dora. " Since our last cook went away it's been 
perfectly impossible for me to get at it." 

" Then, suppose you ask your father if he is willing to 
try the experiment. It will cost scarcely any more than 
to pay a day's wages every week for washing, except the 
girl's board, and in a family as large as yours, one more 
makes very little difference." 



228 doea's housekeeping. 

Dora laid the proposition before her father, who con- 
sented at once, and Mary Ann's domestic education be- 
gan. We will not detail the instructions in dish- washing, 
which were much the same as have already been given in 
these pages, but will pass on to the next morning, when 
Mrs. Arthur found her engaged in sweeping the dining 
room with the broom firmly grasped low down on the 
handle, making very long strokes, and apparently en- 
gaged in scraping away the carpet bodily, that she might 
get at the dust on the floor underneath. 

" Stop a minute," cried Mrs. Arthur, nearly suffocated; 
" let us open the windows first of all and shut the doors. 
You will always need to do that before you begin to 
sweep a room, especially if it has a carpet on. Then 
part of the dust goes outside into the street, and none 
into the halls or the next room. The next thing to do is 
to move everything from the walls and sweep round the 
edges. We'll get a few wet tea-leaves or outside cab- 
bage-leaves to scatter over the floor, and they will help 
along with the dust. You can't move the sideboard, so 
you must get the long-handled whisk and go under it as 
well as you can, and as this room has a fireplace, you can 
sweep everything towards that, after you have taken out 



LIGHT BEGIKS TO DAWN. 229 

the ash-pan, and then take up the rest in the dust-pan. 
When there isn't any fire-place, it is best to sweep towards 
the door, but never from one room into another, or into 
the hall, as so many people do. Now I will show you 
how to take hold of the broom — so, with one hand near 
the top and the other about half-way down; then sweep 
with short, light strokes, and be careful to go over every 
inch of the carpet. There's no use in trying to get out 
the dirt underneath! You must be content with what is 
on the top. When you sweep so hard you wear out 
three things — the broom, the carpet and your own 
strength — all of which you may just as well save as 
not." 

When the dining-room and kitchen were in order, the 
teacher took her pupil up to the bed-rooms. On going 
into Mary Ann's own, Mrs. Arthur saw the bed already 
made, and perceived the unmistakable odor belonging to 
a room not properly aired. " When did you make your 
bed?" she inquired. 

" I made it afore I come down stairs this morning, 
soon as I got up," was the reply. 

" That isn't a wholesome way. As soon as you get out 
of bed you should throw all the clothes over a chair at 



230 dora's housekeeping. 

the foot of the bed, and when you come out of the room, 
open the window and leave it open for half an hour at 
least, unless the weather is very cold, when a few minutes 
will do. But the bed mustn't be made up again for an 
hour or two. Let us open it now and see how it looks 
inside." 

It looked as was to be expected, tumbled and untidy, 
with the sheet not half tucked in at the foot, the clothes 
laid crooked, and altogether the last place one would ex- 
pect to lie comfortably in. Having shown the girl how 
to do it neatly, Mrs. Arthur told her she must turn the 
mattress over twice a week — once from top to bottom, 
and the other time from side to side, so as to make the wear 
come evenly all over it. u And don't roll up your night- 
gown and put it under the pillow," she added, taking up 
the wad which had been unearthed in making the bed, 
" but hang it in the closet after it is aired. It is so much 
more healthy that all nice housekeepers do so now." 

Then Mary Ann was told never to pass a scrap of pa- 
per or rag or any kind of litter on the floor without pick- 
ing it up. " You cannot sweep all the rooms every day," 
said Mrs. Arthur, " but if everybody has the habit of 
picking up the scraps, it will always look clean ; once a 



LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. 231 

week it must be swept thoroughly, in every hole and 
cranny. And every day you must take dust-pan and 
brush and brush down the stairs, and be sure to get all 
the dust out of the corners. I knew a lady once who 
went to a house to inquire the character of a girl, and as 
she stood in the hall and saw a little heap of dust in the 
corner of every stair, she made up her mind that no girl 
from such a house wonld do for her, so she went away 
again." 

That evening there was a particularly nice soup for 
dinner, and Dora asked how it was made. 

" From the water the mutton was boiled in yesterday, 5 ' 
answered Mrs. Arthur. 

" There! " said Dora, " I set away some that we had a 
week ago for that very thing, and never thought of it 
again." 

" I found a mass of something I supposed was meant 
for soup, in a kettle under the sink," said Mrs. Arthur. 
" But this soup wasn't made from that, I assure you." 

"I suppose not," replied Dora, laughing; "but I 
should like to know how you did make it." 

"It is one of the simplest soups you can have. The 
great thing is not to put too much salt in when the meat 



232 doea's housekeeping. 

is first boiled, and then to let it cook very slowly, keep- 
ing it covered all the time, of course. The day the soup 
is made I soak half a teacupful of rice or pearl barley for 
two hours in water enough to cover it, then turn it into 
the kettle and let them boil together an hour, stirring it 
now and then to prevent the rice from settling and stick- 
ing to the pot. Then I beat an egg well and stir it into 
a cup of cold milk thickened with a tablespoonful of rice 
or wheat flour, rubbed in very smoothly, and stir in a 
cupful of the boiling soup, a little at a time, so the egg 
will cook without curdling. When it is all ready, I pour 
it into the soup-pot and season with chopped parsley, a 
very little thyme, pepper, and salt if it needs it. If you 
want it handsome you can strain it." 

" Can you do that with any other meat than mutton?" 
inquired Dora. 

" Oh, yes; boiled beef makes excellent soup, and so do 
chickens. Chicken soup I make just like this, except 
that I add some chopped celery if I have it; beef soup 
you can put almost any vegetable into, except beets or 
parsnips, and it is always good." 

Following the soup were some dishes that Dora had 
never tried, and for which she afterward procured the 
recipes. 



light begins to dawn. 233 

Fricasseed Chicken. 
Cut up the fowls after they are cleaned, and lay them 
in salt and water for half an hour. Put them into a pot 
with water enough to cover them, and half a pound of 
salt pork cut into thin strips. Cover closely, let them 
come slowly to a boil and then simmer for an hour if the 
fowls are tender, or longer in proportion if they are 
tough. When tender, add a chopped onion, parsley and 
pepper; cover again, and when boiling add a teacup fui 
of milk into which you have stirred two beaten eggs and 
two tablespoonfuls butter. Stir in a large tablespoonful 
butter, and serve as soon as this is melted. Add the 
boiling liquor to the milk and egg little by little, as in 
the directions for mutton broth. 

Stewed Celery. 
Cut the celery into pieces about three-quarters of an 
inch long, and boil it in just enough salted water to cover 
it, until tender, which will require about twenty-live 
minutes; then drain off the water, pour over drawn but- 
ter sauce, and serve hot. 

Bice Croquettes. 
To a quart of salted boiled rice add two beaten eggs 



234 dora's housekeeping. 

and a small lump of butter; make into rolls, dip in flour 
or pounded cracker and fry in deep lard, like doughnuts. 

Pancakes. 
Make a batter of one quart milk, a little salt, six heap- 
ing tablespoonfuls flour, and six well-beaten eggs. Have 
ready a hot frying-pan in which melt a small lump of 
butter; the batter should be thin enough for the cake not 
to require turning; pour in just enough to cover the 
bottom of the pan, and as each cake is done, sprinkle it 
with powdered sugar and roll it up; then place on a dish 
before the fire until all are baked; or, lay each cake on a 
flat dish or plate, and sprinkle with sugar before covering 
it with the next; when done in this way the cakes are 
all cut through together and helped in wedges like a 
pie. 

The next morning there were two new dishes for break- 
fast. 

Egg Toast. 
Mix three beaten eggs with a pint of milk and dip, or 
rather soak in it slices of stale bread; then fry on a well- 
buttered hot griddle. 



light begins to dawn. 235 

Graham Gems. 
Take one quart Graham flour, one pint cold water and 
one teaspoon salt; mix well together and beat for five 
minutes. Have your gem-pans very hot, butter them 
and half fill with the mixture. Bake till brown in a hot 
oven. They should take about twenty-five minutes. 

"Aren't we ever going to have anymore buckwheat 
cakes?" asked James. 

"Oh, yes; but I thought I wouldn't start on those 
until Tuesday. They're not convenient for Sunday and 
Monday. You shall have them all next week, and in the 
mean time I'll give you some of my other griddle-cakes, 
that I'm sure you will like." 

Rice Cakes. 
One cup cold boiled rice, one pint flour, one teaspoon- 
ful salt, two beaten eggs, milk to make a rather thick bat- 
ter. Beat all together well before baking. 

Bread Cakes. 
Pour one pint of boiling milk on half a pound of 
bread-crumbs, two ounces of butter and one teaspoonful 
salt; cover, and let it stand half an hour; beat it up well 



236 dora's housekeeping. 

with four eggs and two ounces of flour, and when light 
stir in gradually half a pint of cold milk. 

Hominy Cakes. 
To half a pint of boiled hominy add the yolks of two 
eggs, three ounces of flour, one ounce of butter melted 
in half a pint of milk; beat the whites of the eggs 
separately and stir in just before baking. 

" Tou might as well tell me now how to make buck- 
wheat cakes," said Dora, who had been writing down 
these recipes from Mrs. Arthur's dictation. 

" Tou can take the one from ' Common Sense; ' that's 
the one I always use." 

Buckwheat Cakes. 
Take one quart buckwheat flour, four tablespoonfuls 
yeast, one teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls West India 
molasses, one handful Indian meal, add warm water to 
make a thin batter. Beat well and set to rise in a warm 
place. If the batter is at all sour in the morning, stir in 
a very little soda dissolved in hot water. Mix in an 
earthen crock and leave about a cupful in the bottom each 
morning to serve as sponge for the next, instead of get- 



LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. 237 

ting fresh yeast ; then each night add all the other ingredi- 
ents except the yeast. For a change you can use two- 
thirds buckwheat and one third oatmeal, omitting the 
Indian. 

" I should like to know how you make those beautiful 
rolls of butter that look like half a great egg, Mrs. 
Arthur, 55 said Dora. 

" I gouge them out of the jar of butter with a large 
iron spoon, 55 was the answer. " It is so hard to cut a 
neat-looking piece from the jar that it was always a puz- 
zle to me how to manage when I had not time to make 
up a pat, until I saw the direction in Mrs. Miller's book, 
< In the Kitchen. 5 55 

" Oh, yes, 55 said Dora, " Aunt Jane gave me that for a 
Christmas present, but I was so busy with Grace that 1 
didn't have time to look into it much. I thought it was 
somebody 5 s ' Poems, 5 it was so handsome. 55 

" Yes, one would hardly like to keep it ' in the kitchen, 5 
m spite of its name. The parlor center-table seems a 
fitter place for it. 55 



CHAPTER XIV. 

VARIETIES. 

Dora was quite impatient for Saturday morning to 
come, so that she could have a little practice in cooking 
under Mrs. Arthur's direction, for she was really in earn- 
est in wishing to learn thoroughly. She had some school 
work to do after breakfast, and did not get down for an 
hour or two, and on entering the kitchen she found Mrs. 
Arthur busy pasting labels on several glass jars- " What 
can you be doing that for?" she inquired. 

" So that the next unskillful cook you have may not 
make a mistake and fry your croquettes in mutton tal- 
low, 55 answered Mrs. Arthur. " I must show you a copy 
of rules once made for me by a lady I was working for, 
who was, I think, the very best housekeeper I ever saw, 
and took the trouble to write out some of the results of 
her experience for my benefit. That will tell you how I 
first learned to label jars. 5 ' 

" Oh, won't you get it now? 55 said Grace. " I have 
plenty of time to-day. 55 



VARIETIES. 239 

" Certainly, if yon will wet half a pint of that corn- 
meal with cold water and rub it smooth, then stir it into 
two quarts of cold water and put it over the fire. Salt 
it, of course." 

"What is it for? 55 said Dora. 

" Hasty pudding for lunch. 55 

" Why, it is only ten o 5 elock ! Tou can 5 t call that hasty 
pudding, surely! 55 

" That is an absurd name for it, but I think it's better 
than ' mush. 5 Did you ever read the lines — 

" Oh, hasty pudding, how it makes me blush 
To hear the Pennsylvanians call thee * mush! ' " 

"No, 55 said Dora; "but really, what 5 s the use of put- 
ting it over so early? 55 

"To make it good, 55 answered Mrs. Arthur. "Two 
hours isn 5 t any too long to boil it. Made as you gener- 
ally find it in the country it isn 5 t pudding at all, but 
chicken-feed. 55 Then going to her room, she soon re- 
appeared with a manuscript book which bore marks of 
long use, and in which Dora read the following directions 
concerning 

Debris. 
No housekeeper does her duty faithfully who allows 



240 dora's housekeeping. 

the bones of a roast or the carcase of poultry to be thrown 
away. Every well-regulated kitchen should have its 
large, tight-covered iron pot, its large earthenware bowl, 
for which a place should be kept in the refrigerator, and 
a good cleaver, 

All cooks should be made to understand that every 
bone of roast-beef, turkey, chicken, etc., is to be chopped 
and put into the iron pot as soon as possible in the morn- 
ing, with just water enough to cover it, and salt to season, 
and from this broth should be taken all the gravy-stock 
or soup-stock needed, as it is much more nourishing and 
palatable than hot water. 

The last thing done after dinner should be to strain 
the broth into the bowl, set it in a cool place and clean 
the pot thoroughly. (This you can best do by keeping a 
bottle of ammonia in the kitchen and using it instead of 
soap for cleaning sauce-pans and other greasy articles, 
and also for the waste-pipes of sinks.) By thus keeping 
the pot perfectly cleansed and aired, there will never be 
any staleness about the aroma of the gravy or soup-stock; 
and what is left from the day before having been kept 
perfectly fresh, can be utilized in the cookery of the next 
day. 



varieties. 241 

Dripping. 
Every kitchen should have certain glass jars plainly 
Labelled u beef, poultry, pork, mutton," — and the dripping 
from each kind of meat should be carefully clarified and 
kept in its own jar. Beef dripping is almost as good as 
butter, and much more delicate than lard for making the 
roux of a gravy- stock, whether white or brown. (The 
roux is the mixture of flour and grease, which is the 
foundation of all gravies.) This dripping is also excel- 
lent for frying vegetables or sippets of bread. Poultry 
dripping makes the best foundation for a fricassee or 
croquettes in which poultry is used. Pork dripping is 
only second to beef, and mutton, though it can only be 
used for frying mutton chops, etc., is invaluable as a basis 
for all the salves and ointments needed for burns, chapped 
hands, chillblains, &c, of which all homes should have a 
supply. Clarify mutton dripping by boiling it in clear 
water, stand it aside until cold, break it in pieces, tie it in a 
cloth, boil it again, and repeat this until it is perfectly white. 

Cucumber Ointment, for Burns, Chapped Lips or 

Hands. 
Take one cupful ripe cucumber, peeled and grated, add 
16 



242 doea's housekeeping. 

one cupful clarified mutton suet, boiling hot, stir until 
cool, add ten drops perfume, pack in small cups or jars. 

Lettuce Cream, for Chapped or Sunburned Skin. 

Take two cupfuls young, fresh lettuce, cut up, mash 
well and stir into one cupful boiling mutton suet; boil 
a few moments, strain, perfume, beat until cold, then 
pack in jars or cups. 

Camphor Ice. 
To six tablespoonfuls of mutton suet, boiling hot, stir 
in one tablespoonful glycerine and the same of powdered 
camphor and olive oil; then take it off the lire and stir 
quickly until cold. Pack in small boxes, or pour into 
moulds made of tin foil, which can be formed by wrap- 
ping the foil round small or square bottles, closing the 
bottom securely and drawing out the bottle, leaving the 
mould perfect. 

"The rest seem to be recipes for some particular 
dishes," said Dora, laying down the book at this point. 
"Aren't these directions for saving and boiling bones 
a good deal like the French pot au feu? " 

" I believe that is a regular soup-kettle that stays on 



VARIETIES. 243 

the stove all the time," answered Mrs. Arthur, " and is 
kept constantly full by having vegetables and other things 
thrown in, as well as meat, with water in proportion. 
This way seems to me better because you can make more 
variety if you have clear stock for a basis, and if you 
make a practice of saving the other remnants, you can 
use them as you want them." 

" How soft that corned beef is," observed Dora, look- 
ing at some Mrs. Arthur was just taking up. " Hasn't 
it boiled too long?" 

" Not for the purpose I want it for. I boil it until it 
is tender enough to take out the bones easily, then pack 
the meat into a deep, round earthen dish, mixing the fat 
and lean as evenly as I can. When the water it boiled 
in is cold, I skim off the fat, boil down the liquor till it 
will fill up the spaces in the beef, and then pour it into 
the dish and press the whole under a heavy weight. If 
the water rises above the cover I put on to press it down 
with, I dip it off carefully. The next day the beef is 
ready to use, and can be cut in slices like head-cheese." 

" That sounds good," said Dora. 

" You can cook a knuckle of veal in the same way, ex- 
cept that when you pack it into the dish it is well to sea- 



244 dora's housekeeping. 

son it with pepper and salt, and you need not boil down 
the liquor; just use enough to fill in the empty spaces, 
and save the rest for soup stock." 

" What are we going to have for dinner to-day? " in- 
quired Dora. 

" Pea-soup, Irish stew, salsify and hominy croquettes; 
for dessert, Baroness pudding." 

" That won't leave you any meat for to-morrow, will 
it?" 

" To-morrow we are going to have a good old-fashioned 
dish that I know will please your father — pork and 
beans." 

"Oh, I should like to know how to make all those 
things!" exclaimed Dora. "Will you give me the re- 
cipes?" 

" I keep them all in my head," replied Mrs. Arthur, 
" but if you will get your book I will tell them to you." 

Pea Soup. 

Soak a quart of split peas over night. Three hours 

before dinner put them over the fire in a gallon of water 

with half a pound of salt pork cut small, and boil slowly 

until reduced to nearly half the quantity. Then press 



VARIETIES. 245 

through the colander and put over the fire again, season- 
ing to taste with thyme or sweet marjoram. Just before 
serving, slice in a hard-boiled egg and add little squares 
of fried bread. If the soup is ready too early, it will do 
no harm to let it stand on the back of the stove without 
boiling, closely covered, until it is wanted. 

" Many people omit the pork," said Mrs. Arthur, " in 
which case of course your soup will need salting. Some 
boil with a beef-bone cut up small, others with a ham- 
bone, and others again in the liquor used for boiling mut- 
ton or beef. It is good in all these ways, and you can 
try them once a week in turn and see which you like 
best. If you think the soup too thick when boiled down 
so much, don't cook it as long next time. Tou can fol- 
low the same directions with common dried beans." 

Irish Stew. 
Take three pounds of the scrag of mutton, remove the 
fat and cut the bones small, add eight or ten potatoes 
pared and cut into lumps, and a sliced onion; cover with 
cold water and let it come very slowly to a boil; then 
stew for an hour and a half. If you like, add two oc 
three sliced carrots. Season with salt and pepper, and 



246 

thicken with a very little flour just before serving. One 
of the most economical dishes that ever come to table. 

Stewed Salsify. 
Scrape the roots and drop them into cold water im- 
mediately, or they will turn dark. Out into pieces an 
inch long, put over the fire with enough water to cover 
them, and stew until tender; then turn off most of the 
water and pour in a cupful of cold milk. Stew ten min- 
utes longer, then add about a tablespoonful of butter rub- 
bed with the same quantity of flour; pepper and salt to 
taste, boil up once, and serve. 

Hominy Croquettes. 
To a cupful of cold boiled hominy add a tablespoonful 
of butter and stir hard, moistening by degrees with a 
cupful of milk. Put in a teaspoonful of white sugar, 
and lastly a well-beaten egg. Flour your hands, roll into 
oval balls, dip first in beaten egg and then in cracker- 
crumbs, and fry in hot lard. 

Baroness Pudding. 
Three-quarters of a pound suet, carefully freed from 
skin and chopped fine; same weight of stoned raisins, 



VARIETIES. 247 

same of flour, a pinch of salt, half a pint of milk. Mix 
all together and boil in a floured cloth previously wrung 
out of boiling water, not less than four and a half hours. 
Serve with plain sweet sauce. 

" JSTow the dish for to-morrow," said Dora. 

Pork and Beans. 
Pour over one quart of white dried beans one quart of 
lukewarm water and let them soak all night; in the 
morning add two quarts of water and boil until the skin 
begins to crack; drain and put them in a deep earthen 
dish, in the middle of which put one pound of salt pork, 
cut square and scored over the top in small squares. 
Pour a quart of hot water over them, cover the dish and 
let them bake slowly for three hours. 

" While you have your book there," said Mrs. Arthur, 
"you might as well write down a general rule for cro- 
quettes, so that you will know how to use up your odds 
and ends of meat." 

Croquettes. 
Mince fresh meat or fish ; add to it from one-fourth to 
half its weight in mashed potato, with a beaten egg to 



248 dora's housekeeping. 

each cupful of the mixture, a little melted butter or 
gravy, pepper and salt, a seasoning of any herb you fancy, 
and a scrap of chopped onion. Make into long-shaped 
rolls, dip in beaten egg, roll in pounded cracker, and fry 
a light brown. Or you may simply flour them before 
frying. If made of veal or chicken there should be very 
little potato, and a few scraps of ham will heighten the 
flavor. Anything of this kind should be fried in deep 
lard or drippings, and the fat must be very hot. 

" Papa has sent word that he is going to bring a friend 
home with him," said Dora to Mrs. Arthur one after- 
noon the next week about half-past five, " and he hopes 
you have a good dinner." 

" Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potato, 
parsnips and egg-plant, — yes, I think that might be 
called a good dinner. But I have no soup, and a dinner 
looks, not exactly unfinished, but abruptly begun, with- 
out soup. I think I saw a recipe in your 'In The 
Kitchen ' for soup made in fifteen minutes. See if you 
can find it." 

Dora ran for the book and soon read out the recipe. 

Tomato Soup (Hudson). 
Take a can of tomatoes, rub through a colander, let it 



VARIETIES. 249 

boil three minutes and then add half a teaspoon ful 01 
soda, and let it boil till it stops foaming, stirring all the 
time; stir in two butter crackers rolled fine, two ounces 
of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, a very small pinch of 
cayenne pepper, and lastly, half a pint of boiling milk; 
boil five minutes, then serve. 

"That's the very thing!" exclaimed Mrs. Arthur. 
" If you can stay and help me, we'll have it ready in 
time." 

" Yes," said Dora, " I'm dressed. What will you have 
for dessert?" 

" I have only a dried apple-pie and that won't answer; 
but I can make a ' Quick Pudding' as soon as I send in 
the dinner, and it will be ready in time." 

u But your dinner? When will you eat that? " 

"Oh, I'll find a time for it; never mind that. Just 
run in and take off my napkin and put a clean one 
instead; then the place will be all ready for the gentle- 
man." 

Dora tried to protest against this, but Mrs. Arthur 
said she should prefer to wait on the table in any case, 
as Mary Ann was so exceedingly clumsy; so Dora did 
as she was requested to, and the dinner was served as 



250 dora's housekeeping. 

promptly as usual, and gave Mr. Greenwood great satis- 
faction. 

"Eow tell me how to make those good things," said 
she when the dishes were washed and put away, and Mrs- 
Arthur was sitting, as she always did in the evening, in 
the dining room with her sewing. 

"You know how to roast beef — allow a quarter of an 
hour to a pound, rub with a mixture of salt and pepper, 
dash a cup of boiling water over the meat when it first 
goes in, and afterwards baste frequently, first with slightly 
salted water, and afterward with the gravy from the drip- 
ping pan; when done, have a hot dish ready to serve it 
on, as you should for all meats. Pour the dripping into 
a bowl and let it stand a moment for the fat to rise; then 
skim this off carefully for future use, turn the gravy into 
the dripping pan again on the top of the stove, thicken 
with a little flour and thin with boiling water; taste it, 
and if necessary add salt and pepper, but be careful not 
to get in too much. When you are afraid the meat will 
scorch, set a cup or basin of water in the oven." 

Yorkshire Pudding. 
One pint milk, four eggs beaten separately, two light 
cups flour, a teaspoonful salt. Place the meat on long 



VARIETIES. 251 

skewers laid across the pan, and three quarters of an hour 
before the beef is done, pour out all the gravy except 
enough to prevent the pudding from sticking, and turn 
in the batter. When both are done, cut the pudding into 
squares of three or four inches, and lay them on the plat- 
ter around the meat. 

" You know that grated horse-radish always goes with 
roast beef; if you haven't this, pickles must be substi- 
tuted. Some kind of acid jelly is proper with it also — 
currant is generally considered the nicest, although cran- 
berry is not amiss." 

Parsnips. 

Boil until tender, scrape off the skin and cut in thick 
slices lengthwise. Dredge with flour, pepper and salt, 
and fry on both sides in hot lard or drippings, to a light 
brown. Drain off every drop of fat and serve hot. 

For serving without frying, boil until perfectly tender, 
which will be in from three-quarters of an hour to one 
and a quarter; then drain and butter well before dishing. 

" I've often wondered why they selected parsnips for 
the proverb, 'Fair words butter no parsnips,'" said 
Dora. 



252 

"I've heard that they always serve them boiled in 
England," said Mrs. Arthur, "never fried; and I suppose 
they would be very tasteless without the butter." 

Egg Plant. 
Slice the plant half an inch thick; pare each piece and 
lay them in salt and water for an hour, laying a plate on 
the uppermost piece to keep it under. Wipe each slice 
separately, dip first in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs, 
and fry on both sides until well browned. 

Quick Pudding. 
Beat two eggs light, stir in while beating two table- 
spoons flour, add six tablespoons cold milk, boil one table- 
spoon butter in one pint milk with one saltspoon salt, 
mix all together, put over the fire and stir till it begins 
to thicken. Serve hot with powdered sugar or with 
syrup. 

" I doubled that recipe," said Mrs. Arthur, " and by 
the time Mary Ann and I had finished our dinner there 
wasn't a spoonful left." 

" I should think it would be tiresome to measure out 
so many tablespoonfuls," remarked Dora. 



VARIETIES. 253 

u When any thing has four or six tablespoonfuls in it I 
know just how niuch it makes in a cup, so I take the 
measure in that. But I must give you the directions for 
the sauce." 

Maple Sauce. 
Dissolve half a pound of maple sugar cut into small 
bits in half a gill (a quarter of a tumblerful,) of hot 
water over a good fire; the sooner it melts the better. 
When clear take it from the fire and stir in a quarter of 
a pound butter, cut in small lumps ; pour into the sauce- 
boat and serve. 

" Here's another kind of sauce I don't believe you ever 
tried. It's excellent for apple-dumplings." 

Rexford Sauce. 
Rub two ounces of butter with an even tablespoonful 
of flour; stir in half a pint of brown sugar and half a gill 
of boiled cider; add a gill of boiling water, mix well, let 
it simmer a few minutes and serve hot. 

" While I am about it, shall I give you a few more re- 
cipes? I have some that I think very nice." 
" Oh, please do," said Dora. 



254 

Lemon Dumplings. 
Take half a pound grated bread, a quarter of a pound 
finely chopped suet, a quarter of a pound sugar, one lemon 
(squeeze the juice on the sugar and chop the rest very 
fine), one large Spitzenberg or Greening apple, grated, 
two even tablepoonfuls flour and two well-beaten eggs. 
Mix all thoroughly together, tie in square pieces of cot- 
ton cloth, drop into boiling water and boil three-quarters 
of an hour with a plate under them to prevent their stick- 
ing. Serve with either Rexford or maple sauce. This 
quantity makes eight dumplings. 

St. Charles Indian Bread. 
Beat two eggs very light and mix with them one pint 
of sour milk; add a teaspoonful soda and stir in one pint 
of Indian meal and a tablespoonful of melted butter; 
beat a long time and bake in flat tins in a quick oven. 

Muffins. 
Mix one quart of flour with a pint of warmed milk, 
one teaspoonful of salt and half a gill of yeast. Mix at 
night and beat until light. In the morning, drop the 
dough into buttered cups, let them stand twenty minutes, 
then bake. They can be made with water instead of 
milk, but are not as nice. 



varieties. 255 

Fruit Cup Cake. 
One cup of butter and three of sugar worked to a 
cream, five eggs beaten separately, a glass of brandy or 
wine, half a nutmeg, a teaspoonful cinnamon and a salt- 
spoonful ground cloves. Pulverize a teaspoonful of soda, 
mix it with five cups of sifted flour, and stir the flour into 
the cake. Flour one pound of washed currants and mix 
them in, and afterward one pound seeded raisins, also 
floured; stir it well, and just before baking add a cup of 
sour cream. Do not beat it much after the cream is in, 
but mix thoroughly and bake immediately. It will take 
one hour to bake. Do not cut it the same day it is made. 

Julia's Doughnuts. 
Two cups of light dough, one teacup white coffee- 
sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, two eggs and a very lit- 
tle allspice and cinnamon — perhaps an even teaspoonful 
altogether. Knead these in thoroughly; then roll and 
cut the cakes and let them rise again. Before you fry 
them, try a little one in the lard to see if it is hot enough; 
if so, your cake will puff out quickly and turn brown. 
Don't let it get too hot, or it will taste burnt. 

Lemon Jelly. 
Soak one package Cox's gelatine for an hour in just 



256 

cold water enough to cover it; then add the juice of three 
lemons and two cups of white sugar, and pour nearly a 
quart of boiling water into it. Stir until dissolved, and 
strain into jelly-moulds. 

Apple Fritters. 

Make a batter of two eggs to a pint of milk, a pint of 
flour and a little salt; beat the eggs separately, stirring 
in first the yolks and afterward the whites, and into this 
stir in sour apples chopped small. Dip one tablespoon- 
ful of the batter at a time into boiling lard in a spider or 
shallow kettle; they will fly to pieces if the lard is deep. 
Eat with maple syrup or sifted sugar. Never stick a 
fork into cakes boiling in lard ; it makes them absorb the 
fat. They must be taken out with a skimmer. 

Plain fritters are made in the same way, omitting the 
apple. 

Liniment for Burns. 
Take strong, clear lime-water and mix with as much 
linseed-oil as it will "cut;" shake the bottle before ap- 
plying, wrap the burn in cotton wadding, and keep the 
cotton saturated with it for nine days, by which time the 
new skin will probably be formed. 



VARIETIES. 257 

If yon have no remedy in the house, cover the burn 
immediately with flour and cotton and leave on till it 
heals. You can apply any liquid remedy without remov- 
ing the cotton. 

" I wish there were time to give you some dozens of 
others," said Mrs. Arthur, " but there's the clock striking 
nine, and I know you ought not to sit up any longer. 
We'll have some more another time." 



17 



CHAPTEK XV. 

ALL ENDS WELL. 

" "Who do you think has been here this morning to see 
you?" Mrs. Arthur asked Dora, one day when she came 
from school. 

" I'm sure I don't know," said Dora. " I don't expect 
anybody." 

" Your old ' Annie ' ! Her mother is well now, and 
she says she can come if you want her. I told her you 
did, and she will be here to-morrow and take my place." 

" Oh, Mrs. Arthur, I shall be so sorry to have you go 
away! It doesn't seem as if we could do without you! " 

"But I have to go; I've stayed a week longer now 
than I ought to, and my customers are getting impatient. 
I couldn't bear to leave you without help, but this comes 
in so well that it seems as if it had all been ordered on 
purpose." 

"I can never be thankful enough for all vou've 
taught me," exclaimed Dora, who had spent every spare 



ALL ENDS WELL. 259 

moment in informing herself as to all the details of 
house-keeping, from the highest to the humblest. " You 
don't know how much good you've done me." 

" I'm glad if I've been of any use, and before I go 
there are some more recipes I want to give you. I was 
looking over your book, and there seem to be very few 
for spring and summer dishes; they are all for fall and 
winter." 

" Do give them to me," said Dora; "they will come 
in just right when mamma comes home." 

" Tou must be sure to give her a spring-soup or " 

Pkintajstniere. 
Take a knuckle of veal weighing five pounds; crush 
the bone and put it on the fire in three quarts and a pint 
of cold water, and let it boil slowly until the scum has 
risen and been skimmed off, then simmer for two hours 
and a half and skim it again; add six ounces of cut 
celery, a few asparagus tops, also cut small, and if it is 
late enough in the season, a handful of green peas; boil 
half an hour, then take out the knuckle and add a quart 
of rich milk, a tablespoonful salt, a teaspoonful white 
pepper and a quarter of a pound blanched macaroni; let 



260 doka's housekeeping. 

it boil slowly until the macaroni is tender, and when 
ready to serve, beat three eggs in the tureen and pour 
the boiling soup over them. If you wish an elegant 
dish, throw in at the last minute a handful of blanched 
almonds. 

Prepare the macaroni by pouring over it boiling water 
with a little salt, and letting it stand, covered, fifteen 
minutes; then drain and pour cold water over it, drain 
again, and turn into the soup. 

Strawberry Short Cake. 
One cup of sugar, one of sour milk, half a cup butter, 
two eggs, one teaspoonful soda, and just enough flour to 
roll it out. Make in two round cakes and bake in a quick 
oven. When done, split the cakes, lay one half on the 
plate, crnst down, butter it, and put on a thick layer of 
berries and sugar; then another half cake, covered in the 
same way and so on, making the last half-cake a cover, 
crust up. Set it in the oven again for five minutes, and 
serve hot. 

Huckleberry Cake. 
One cup of sugar, two of flour, half a cup each of 
butter and milk, two teaspoonfuls baking powder; roll 



ALL ENDS WELL. 261 

the berries in sugar, stir them in, and bake in shallow 
pans. 

Spinach. 
Wash thoroughly and put into a covered sauce-pan 
with scarcely any water; boil twenty minutes, then drain 
in a colander. Chop it up fine, return it to the fire and 
season with butter, pepper and salt. Serve covered with 
hard-boiled eggs cut in slices. 

" You know," said Mrs. Arthur, " that young beets 
make the most delicious greens ; many people prefer them 
to spinach. Take those that are ' thinned out ' from the 
garden beds, wash them very clean, and scrape the roots 
if any are large enough to cook; if not, cut them off 
close to the leaves. Boil and serve like spinach." 

Asparagus. 
Out in even lengths, rejecting the woody portion, 
which can be used in soup. Tie in small bundles; throw 
into salted boiling water and boil from twenty to forty 
minutes, according to the age. Have ready a dish of 
buttered toast, cut into pieces convenient for helping, 
and dipped in the asparagus liquor; drain the bunches 



262 dora's housekeeping. 

and lay them on the toast, heads all one way; cut the 
strings and draw them out gently, then cover the aspara- 
gus with drawn-butter sauce. 

Green Peas. 
Throw into boiling water and boil from thirty to forty 
minutes; drain, season with pepper and salt and add 
three or four tablespoons of cream. 

String Beans. 
Be sure that every string is carefully peeled off; if the 
beans are young and tender you need only cut them 
across two or three times, and take off the heads and tails; 
if older, so that beans are found in the pod, first slit 
them in two lengthwise. They require more boiling than 
peas, especially when old. Finish and serve like peas. 

Sweet Corn. 
Cut it from the cobs and boil the latter half an hour 
in just water enough to cover them ; then boil the shelled 
corn in the same water, with salt. Season with batter 
and pepper. 

Summer Squash. 
If very small, the squashes may be boiled whole, with- 



ALL ENDS WELL. 263 

out peeling; if older, pare and quarter, taking out the 
seeds. Boil until tender, which will be in from three- 
quarters of an hour to an hour; drain and press in a 
colander, then mash smooth and season with butter, salt, 
and a little cream. Serve very hot. 

New Potatoes. 
Do not pare them, but rub off the skin (after washing) 
with a rough towel. Boil half an hour in salted water; 
then drain, and dry for a few minutes before serving; 
or, you may make a dressing of half a pint of milk in 
which an even tablespoonful of flour, rubbed smooth 
with a heaping one of butter and a little salt, has been 
dissolved; pour it over while boiling, and serve hot. 

" I should like the recipe for that fruit-cake we had 
last week," said Dora, " and for those caramels the chil- 
dren like so much." 

"Here is the one for the candy; the other you will 
find in Mrs. Miller's book." 

Home Caramels. 
One cup Baker's chocolate, grated or broken up fine; 
one of granulated sugar, one of molasses, a quarter of a 



264 dora's housekeeping. 

cup milk, a piece of butter the size of an egg. Boil 
until it will stiffen in water. 

Coffee-Cake "Without Eggs. 
Rub together nine ounces of brown sugar with four- 
teen of butter; add alternately a pint of moksses, the 
same of strong made-coffee, two and a half pounds flour 
from which you leave out a pint for flouring the fruit, 
two teaspoonfuls each of ground mace, cinnamon and 
nutmeg, one do. each of cloves and allspice, and two tea- 
spoonfuls soda, dissolved in a little of the coffee. Last 
of all, you add two and a half pounds of stoned raisins 
and one of sliced citron, rubbed in the reserved flour. 
This is a rich cake and will keep a long time. 

" I should like to know how to make orange cake that 
isn't in layers," said Dora. " I never saw a recipe for 
that." 

" I take any kind of light cake and flavor it with 
orange juice," answered Mrs. Arthur. " Try ' Sister 
Mag's cake ' in Marion Harland, and substitute the juice 
of two oranges for the lemon. If it doesn't make the 
flavor strong enough, you can take more oranges and 
scant the milk a little so as not to have too much 
liquid." 



ALL ENDS WELL. 265 

" How splendidly bright that silver looks," said Dora, 
glancing at some on the side-board. " Don't you like our 
receipt? " 

" Yes, very much, but the mixture happened to be out, 
and I did that in a way of my own, by rubbing it first 
with a soft old napkin moistened with sweet oil, and 
afterward with calcined magnesia, polishing, of course, 
with chamois-skin. The Indexical silver soap is very good 
if the silver is in good condition and you use the soap 
constantly; but yours had become very dull when I came 
here, and had to have an extra cleaning. Rubbing is the 
great thing, after all." 

" I don't mean to let it get dull again," said Dora. 
" When you go, I'll do it every Saturday morning, just 
as I set out to do when Annie was here before. I hope 
she'll stay, this time." 

" There's another thing I must remind you of," said 
Mrs. Arthur; " it will soon be time to look out for moths, 
and now that the responsibility is all on your shoulders, 
you'll have to be very careful." 

" Mamma always puts things away in linen bags tied 
up with camphor," said Dora. 

" That is very well if the eggs are not already laid, but 



266 dora's housekeeping. 

if they are, all the camphor in the world won't prevent 
the moths from eating their way out. The trouble is to 
guard against them when the first mild days come, and 
you are so sure to want your woolen clothes and furs 
again that it is not worth while to put them away. The 
safest way during this season is to shake and beat every 
such thing thoroughly the moment you take it off, then 
give it a good airing in the sun every day. When 
things are finally put away for the summer, nothing is 
better than newspapers to keep them in, as these are an 
absolute protection if there are not already eggs in the 
garments, but the edges must be pasted together — not 
merely tied. If you can get a whiskey or alcohol barrel 
to keep the bundles in, it will be as good a preservative 
as any, and you can buy a little bergamot at the drug- 
store to overcome any unpleasant odor. Your muff and 
tippet will be safe in their usual boxes if you first beat 
them thoroughly and then paste paper over the edge of 
the cover to keep it tight. It stands to reason that if 
the moths are not there already they can't get in, in that 
case." 

The day after this conversation Annie came and Mrs. 
Arthur went away, followed by the regrets of the whole 



ALL ENDS WELL. 267 

family. All things slipped back into their old grooves, and 
there were no thrills of excitement until the time was 
fixed for Mrs. Greenwood's return. Then, indeed, the 
family was in a ferment, and Dora was nearly beside her- 
self with her efforts to get the house-cleaning over, and 
every thing in exquisite order again before her mother 
should come. The weeks grew fewer and shorter, for it 
seemed as if each one showed more and more to be done; 
but at last the eventful day came, a Saturday fortunately; 
the house was cleaned and adorned, the children dressed, 
the table set out with a lovely vase of flowers which filled 
the dining-room with fragrance, and there being abso- 
lutely nothing more to be done, Dora sat with clasped 
hands trying to keep down her impatience during the ten 
minutes which she knew must still elapse before the 
welcome sound of chariot-wheels would be heard. 

" Nine months ago ! " she thought to herself; " how 
old I have grown since then, and how little I thought 
when it began of all I should go through with! I wonder 
if Mamma will be satisfied with me? At all events, I 
hope she'll think I've done my best." And so her mind 
wandered on until the carriage drove up, and all else was 
forgotten in a burst of joyful welcome. 



268 doea's housekeeping. 

"Well? yes, I'm entirely well ! " exclaimed Mrs. Green- 
wood, after the rapturous greetings were over, and the 
children began to overwhelm her with questions. " I'm 
never going to be sick again. How tall you have grown, 
Dora! My ' little girl ' has changed into a woman. And 
how perfectly sweet every thing looks ! I've been imagin- 
ing it all, but it was impossible to realize it until I actu- 
ally came. How well you have done, my darling!" she 
added, clasping her oldest daughter once more to her 
breast. " My heart has been with you every instant, and 
when Aunt Jane wrote me about all the trials and strug- 
gles that you were too considerate to burden me with, it 
seemed as if I must fly to you! But it was all for the 
best, and I know you'll never be sorry to have had the 
experience." 

Then Aunt Jane came in, and there were more con- 
gratulations and outpourings, in the midst of which the 
dinner-bell rang, and the circle around the table was com- 
plete once more. 

There we must leave the happy family, enjoying prin- 
tanniere and talk, roast lamb, stewed potatoes, green 
peas 'and spinach, seasoned with recollections of travel 
and anecdotes of home life, and a delicious strawberry 



ALL ENDS WELL. 269 

short cake by way of dessert, served up with bright anti- 
cipations of the future. Mrs. Greenwood said that no 
dinner at the Paris restaurants, which she had visited 
before coming home, had ever tasted so good to her; and 
when her husband tried to set off its merits by comparing 
it with some that he remembered during Honor's admin- 
istration, cries of "shame! shame!" put him to silence, 
and he subsided into a state of good behavior, for the 
time at least. 
Good-bye, Dora! 



INDEX. 



BREAKFAST AND LUNCH 
DISHES. 

PAGE. 

Baked Apples Ill 

Fried Apples 209 

Bread Crumb Omelette 126 

Broiled Fresh Fish 122 

Breakfast Beef. 197 

Calf'sLiver 120 

Chicken Croquettes 39 

Chicken or Turkey Hash 115 

Minced Codfish 116 

Codfish and Potato Stew 123 

Cold Fish rechauffe 127 

Cold meat, warmed over 123 

Coffee 70 

Soyer's Coffee 70 

Serena's Coffee 132 

Mock Cream 79 

Croquettes 247 

Eggs a V Italienne 113 

Eggs, hard-boiled 83 

Eggs, poached 54 

Eggs, scrambled 69 

■Fiah-balls 112 



PAGE. 

Frizzled Beef. 92 

Fried Ham 54 

Hash from soup-meat 35 

Stewed Kidneys 125 

Liver Hash 120 

Salt Mackerel 68 

Mutton Hash 116 

Oatmeal Porridge 77 

Scalloped Oysters 198 

Stewed 198 

Potatoes a' la bourgeoise 126 

Fried Potatoes 76 

VealHash 115 

List of lunch dishes 209 

List of breakfast dishes 194 

SOUPS. 

General directions for soup..24r-38 

Chicken Soup 38 

Julienne Soup 34 

Macaroni Soup 36 

Mock Turtle Soup 200 

Mutton Soup 232 

Oyster Soup. 173 



272 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Pea Soup 244 

Printanniere Soup 259 

Tomato Soup 36 

Tomato Soup (Hudson) 248 

Force-meat Balls 201 

MEATS. 

Roast Beef 250 

Yorkshire Pudding 250 

Beefsteak 19 

Beefsteak Pie 203 

Crust for Meat Pies 204 

Potato Crust 204 

Corned Beef, boiled 103 

" pressed 243 

Fricasseed Chicken 233 

Ham... 175 

Codfish for dinner 123 

Irish Stew 245 

Mutton, boiled 210 

Mutton, roast 57 

Mutton Chops 93 

FriedOysters 206 

Pork Chops 121 

Pork Tenderloins 120 

Pork and Beans 247 

Turkey, boiled 202 

OysterSauce 202 

Celery Sauce 202 

Turkey, roast 173 

Veal Cutlets 113 

Veal, pressed 243 

Bills of fare 169, 199 



PAGE. 

VEGETABLES. 

Apple Sauce 122 

Asparagus 261 

Lima Beans 87 

String Beans. 262 

Beets, boiled 87 

Beets, warmed over 46 

Beets, young 261 

Cabbage 104 

Carrots 105 

Cauliflower 66 

Celery, stewed 233 

Canned Corn 204 

Sweet Corn 262 

Corn Oysters 114 

Cranberry Sauce 176 

Cucumbers 94 

Egg-plant 252 

Hominy Croquettes 246 

Hominy, fried 105 

Macaroni, baked 204 

Macaroni, stewed 205 

Parsnips 251 

Green Peas 262 

Potatoes, baked 44 

Potatoes, boiled 58 

Potatoes, mashed 64 

Potatoes, new 263 

Potatoes, snow 177 

Potatoes, stewed 87 

Potatoes, sweet 177 

Rice in Grains 211 

Rice Croquettes 233 



INDEX. 



273 



PAGE. 

Salsify \... 246 

Spinach 261 

Summer Squash 262 

Succotash 65 

Tomatoes, baked 93 

Tomatoes, stewed 59 

Turnips 58 

DESSERT. 

Apple Tapioca 33 

Apple Fritters 256 

Spanish Cream 190 

Lemon Cheese 222 

Lemon Dumplings 254 

Lemon Jelly 255 

Pancakes 234 

Baked Pears 59 

Stewed Pears 60 

Mince-meat 188 

Mince-meat (family) 189 

Dried Fruit Pie 179 

Peach Pie 180 

Pumpkin Pie 178 

Squash Pie 179 

Batter Pudding 66 

Baroness Pudding 246 

Bread Pudding 220 

Brown Betty 94 

Cracker Pudding 196 

Empress Pudding 195 

Extempore Pudding 191 

German-raised Pudding 88 

Indian Pudding 107 

18 



PAGE. 

Peach Pudding 67 

Plum Pudding 190 

Quick Pudding 252 

Rice in cups 211 

Snow Pudding.... 220 

Children's Pudding-Sauce. . . 191 

Maple Sauce 253 

Plain Sauce 191 

Rexford Sauce 253 

Simple Sauce 211 

Sophy's Sauce 88 

Butter Scotch Candy 221 

Jenny B.'s Caramels 221 

Home Caramels 263 

BREAD, ETC. 

Home-made Yeast 215 

Wheat Bread 216 

Graham Bread. 218 

Graham Gems 235 

Raised Rolls 134 

St. Charles Indian Bread .... 254 

Buttered Toast Ill 

Egg Toast 234 

MilkToast 83 

Huckleberry Cake 260 

Strawberry Short-cake ...... 260 

Patent Tea-cake 196 

SnowTea-cake 192 

Muffins 254 

Dearborn Ave. Waffles 222 



274 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Bread Griddle-Cakes 235 

Buckwheat Griddle - Cakes. .. 236 

Hominy Griddle- Cakes 236 

Rice Griddle-Cakes 235 

CAKE. 

Clove Cake 195 

Coffee Cake 264 

Delicate Cake 192 

Fruit-cup Cake 255 

Sister Mag.'s Cake 106 

Minute Cookies. 192 

Molasses Cookies 192 

Jane's Crullers 192 

Julia's Doughnuts 255 

Hard Gingerbread 133 

Soft Gingerbread 196 

PICKLES. 

Pickled Butternuts 139 

Pickled Cabbage 138 

Pickled Cauliflower 139 

Pickled Cherries 143 

Pickled Cucumbers 137 

Pickled Pears and Plums 143 

Chili Sauce 142 

Chow-chow 140 

Spiced Currant 143 

Spanish Pickle 141 

Tomato Pickle < . . 140 

Tomato Catsup . — 142 

Tomato Soy ,. 142 



PAGE. 

Green Pickles 138 

General Directions 145 

PRESERVES. 

Preserved Cherries 150 

Preserved Citron 155 

Preserved Crab-apple 156 

Gooseberry Jam 151 

Grape Jam 151 

Orange Marmalade 156 

Preserved Peaches 153 

Peach Marmalade 154 

Preserved Pears 154 

Preserved Pineapples 152 

Preserved Plums 153 

Preserved Sweet Potatoes 165 

Preserved Quince 157 

Quince Marmalade 157 

Raspberry or Blackberry 

Jam.* 150 

Preserved Strawberries 148 

Preserved Green Tomatoes . . . 159 

Preserved Ripe Tomatoes — 159 

Brandied Cherries 158 

Brandied Peaches 158 

Brandied Pears 158 

Apple Jelly 164 

Currant Jelly 162 

Fruit Jellies 163-164 

Covering Fruit Jars 149 

Candied Fruits 161 

Compotes .... 160 



INDEX. 



275 



PAGE. 

Canned Berries 166 

Canned Peaches 165 

Canned Pears 166 

Canned Tomatoes 167 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Care of Bedrooms 79-81 

Care of Clean Clothes 16-17 

Care of Dining-room 73-74 

Care of Kerosene Lamps 52 

Care of Kitchen 52 

Care of Remnants 48, 175 

Care of Tablecloth 31 

Care against Moths 266 



PAGE. 

Directions for Cleaning 

Silver 28,265 

Directions for Clearing the 

Table 48 

Directions for Debris 239 

Directions for Dripping 241 

Directions for making beds. . .230 
Directions for sweeping 74, 79, 228 
Directions for washing dishes 27 

Camphor Ice 242 

Cucumber Ointment 241 

Lettuce Cream 242 

Liniment for Burns 256 

Silver Polish 29 



SHORT HISTORY OF FRANCE, 

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 

By MISS E. S. KIRKLAND. 

AUTHOR OF "SIX LITTLE COOKS," "DORA'S HOUSEKEEPING," BTCL 



12 mo., .....«• Price, $1. 25, 



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Sold by all booksellers, or sent by mail, post- 
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A. C, McCLURG & COMPANY. 



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TALES OF ANCIENT GREECE. 

By the Eev. SIR G. W. COX, Bart., M.A., 
Trinity College, Oxford. 



12 mo., ....... Price, $1.25. 



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66 It cannot fail to gain young people's attention." 

— Publisher's Weekly, New York. 



SPEECH AND MANNERS 

FOR HOME AND SCHOOL. 

By Miss E. S. Kirkland. Price, $0.75 

Miss Kirkland's new volume will be found quite as useful and 

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A SHORT HISTORY OF FRANCE, Price, $ 1 .25 
DORA'S HOUSEKEEPING, - " 75 

SIX LITTLE COOKS, - 75 



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u Stirring events are graphically told in this series 
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TIMES OF GUSTAF ADOLF. 

An Historical Romance of the Exciting 
Times of the Thirty Years' War. 

From the Original Swedish. 
BY Z. TOPELIUS. 

!2mo, extra cloth, black and gilt. Price 75 cents. 

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** Most exquisitely written and translated J 9 

— Transcript, Boston, 

TIMES OF BATTLE AND BEST. 

An Historical Romance of the Times of Charles X. and Charles 
XI. From the Swedish of Prof. Z. Topelius. (Vol. II. 
of " The Surgeon's Stories.") Price, 75 cents. 



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" Surely it is delightfully toldS'-Pioneer Press, St. Paul. 



TIMES OF CHARLES XII. 

An Historical Romance of the times of Charles XII. From the 
Swedish of Prof. Z. Topelius. (Vol. III. of " The 
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44 He left the name at which the world grew pale, 
To point a moral and adorn a tale." 

44 The work is the most brilliant in the series thus far, and 
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to him new and artistic work." — Boston Globe. 

"All who enjoyed (and who that read it did not enjoy it?) 
* The Times of Gustaf Adolf,' will be eager to read this the third 
of the series ; a thrilling story of the thrilling times of * The Lion 
of the North,' written by the Walter Scott of the North." 

—Living Church, Chicago. 

44 We would much prefer teaching a youth Swedish history 
from the novels of Topelius than from any book of strict historical 
narrative. In the one case wl are confident the events will be 
remembered and the times will live ; in the other the chances are 
that the first will be forgotten and the second never realized." — 
New York Sun. 

44 We know of no author with whom to compare Topelius. 
He is vigorous and graphic, never verbose, never failing in interest. 
His books will attrrct the mature reader, and absorb the attention 
of children, and we commend them most heartily to all of these 
classes." — Courier, Cincinnati. 

Sold by all booksellers, or sent by mail, post-paid, 
on receipt of price, by the publishers, 

A. C- McCLURG & COMPANY. 



44 Swedish history has never been so attractively 
recorded." — Advance, Chicago. 



TIMES OF FREDERICK I. 

An Historical Romance of the period succeeding the reign of 
Charles XII. From the Swedish of Prof. Z. Topelius. 
(Vol. IV. of " The Surgeon's Stories.") Price,75 cents. 



" The portrayal is that of a master hand, and the stirring tale 
of passion, the thread of the king's ring romance, running through 
it make a captivating and intensely thrilling production of literary 
genius." — Times, Troy, N. Y. 

" The * Times of Frederick I.' is wholly worthy the com- 
panionship of its predecessors. The characters are drawn with 
much of the picturesque force of Walter Scott, and the narrative 
is almost as animated and as genial as that of the elder Dumas 
in his historical novels." — Gazette, Boston. 

" Even more than former volumes does this book show a strik- 
ing resemblance to Scott in the power to make an historical epoch 
real and vivid to the reader's eyes. There is nothing finer in 
Scott than the scene in which the young count discovers the 
woman whom he loves in the wayside inn, surrounded by drunken 
noblemen, and rescues her by fighting three duels with the 
carousers." — Chronicle, San Francisco. 

" Its chief value is in its graphic description of the political 
feeling and action in the first years of peace after the war of 
twenty-one-years, and in its very perfect photographs of three 
leaders, Count Horn, Count Bertelskold, and Larsson. There are 
present, with undiminished force, the same knowledge of men 
and motives, the same skillful art and eloquent expression that 
have been exhibited so remarkably in the preceding works. The 
stories are classic in theme, treatment and style, and afford a 
satisfaction to literary taste that it seldom experiences in their 
class of fiction. Their qualities are entitled to conscientious 
study, and the time given to them will be repaid by the discovery 
of some rare beauties." — Globe, Boston. 

Sold by all booksellers, or sent by mail, post- 
paid, on receipt of price, by the publishers, 

A. C. McCLURG & COMPANY. 



u It deserves a place with the very best fiction/ 9 

— Standard, Chicago. 

TIMES OF LDWJEUS. 

An Historical Romance of the Times of the great Naturalist 
Linnseus. From the Swedish of Prof. Z. Topelius. (Vol. 
V. of " The Surgeon's Stories.") Price, 75 cents. 



" Like its predecessors, the work bears a romantic charm and 
beauty of style that is rarely exceeded even in unmixed fiction." — 
Interior, Chicago. 

" The freshness, purity, and learning which have given these 
stories their exceptional reputation are all present in the latest. 
For the lover of flowers and plants this is as enjoyable as a ro- 
mance of botany, without any unnecessary intrusion of unknown 
terms."— If era/d, Chicago. 

" The beauty, delicacy and tenderness of description in these 
stories can only be compared to the work of Sir Walter Scott. 
The subtle emotions of the human mind are sketched with a 
master hand. The heroic element combines the courage of a 
soldier, with the gentleness of a lover. The reader is tempted 
to exclaim in rapture, * Why have we never known this people 
before ? ' " — -Free Press, Detroit. 

tl In the other four stories, Topelius has described part of the 
political as well as the social history of Sweden, and we have 
learned some things no other history has taught us, about the 
splendid campaigns of Gustaf Adolf and Charles the XIL, but 
the author in the Times of Linnaeus, introduces us to far nobler 
battle fields, and to a conqueror whose name is, and forever will 
be, held in love and admiration by the students of natural science. 
As we follow with uninterrupted interest the course of this story, 
we are more than ever impressed with the clear, picturesque and 
dramatic style of its author. He records the history and charac- 
ter of the great naturalist, and at the same time portrays the 
romance of human passion with a skill which few modern novel- 
ists possess. We have on other occasions advised our readers to 
buy these stories. We more decidedly than ever before repeat 
this counsel." — Courier, Cincinnati. 

Sold by all booksellers, or sent by mail, post- 
paid, on receipt of price by the publishers, 

A. C. McCLURG & COMPANY. 



* The completion of < The Surgeon's Stories' forms 
an event in modern literature."— Express, Buffalo. 



TIMES OF ALCHEMY. 

An Historical Romance of the Dawn of the Gustavian Period of 
Swedish History. From the Swedish of Prof. Z. 
Topelius. (Vol. VI., and last of " The Sur- 
geon's Stories.") Price, 75 cents. 



" As abundant in charm as the delightful historical romances 
of the elder Dumas." — Gazette, Boston. 

" This volume completes a charming series of stories, possess- 
ing not merely fine fancy, but having within them such faithful 
pictures of northern European life as can be found in no other 
books," — Christian Advocate ', Chicago \ 

" Perhaps in knowledge of the quiet expression of the heart , 
under influence of love, and in the beauty of its lessons, this is 
superior to all. * * They may be classed among the best books 
of contemporary fiction, and should be carefully read." — Globe, 
Boston. 

"The first conclusion— the only one (for who can criticise so 
charming a series as this has been ?) — is that there is not quite 
enough * Alchemy,' for what there is makes us want more — in 
the unpretentious little book. But it is a clever wind up, never- 
theless, of an exceedingly clean and clever series, for the intro- 
duction of which the publishers deserve large credit." — Pioneer- 
Press, Si. Paul. 

In the concluding volume of these great romances we are 
shown a striking picture of the superstition that prevailed amongst 
all classes of Swedish society before its clouds had yet been pene- 
trated and dissolved by the sunlight of exact science that followed 
the career of Linnaeus. This superstition is exemplified in the 
person of a mysterious alchemist and his experiments in search of 
the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life. Many of the char- 
acters of the preceding volume appear in this, and the threads of 
all the stories are here united and brought to a fitting close. 

Sold by all booksellers, or sent by mail, post- 
paid, on receipt of price by the publishers, 

A, C. McCLURG & COMPANY, 



New Edition, re-written and greatly enlarged. 



WOMAN IN MUSIC. 

By George P. Upton, Author of "The Standard Operas," etc. 
i6mo, 222 pages. Price, $1.00. 

"Woman in Music," by George P. Upton, the author of 
" Standard Operas" and other valuable contributions to musical 
literature, is a novel venture in literature and full of interest and 
suggestion. Its facts and illustrations, drawn from unusually 
wide reading, are very fresh and curious, and the charming little 
brochure might justly be said to contain the romance of musical 
history. 

It is divided into three parts. In the first, the author discusses 
the much vexed question why so few women have been gifted with 
musical creative power of the highest order, and traces the real 
relations of woman to music. 

In the second part, the influence of woman in inspiring the 
highest musical composition is shown in a series of short biograph- 
ical sketches of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, 
Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Handel, Weber, and Wagner. 
This part of the work is specially interesting and valuable, as it 
is replete with information not generally accessible, and reveals to 
the world many highly romantic episodes, and pictures the domes- 
tic phases of the lives of the great composers. 

In the third part, the relations of woman to the performance of 
vocal and instrumental music are considered, and numerous obser- 
vations of value are given which the author has gathered from his 
many years of experience as a musical critic. In following out this 
part of his subject he briefly reviews the careers of the most noted 
queens of song of the last two centuries, and cites opinions of 
contemporary criticism. 

An additional interest is given by an appendix containing a list 
of the prominent female composers of the past three centuries, and 
a list of the women to whom the great masters have dedicated 
their more important works. 

The book is the result of a very wide gleaning in the out-of-the- 
way fields of musical literature, and will be very fascinating to 
all who are interested in the more romantic phases of musical his- 
tory and biography. 

Sold by all booksellers, or mailed, postpaid, on 
receipt of price by the publishers, 

A. C McCLURG & COMPANY. 



MAR 3 



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